Original subtitles

Good evening.

Someone has at last found a practical use for my talents.

He reasoned that since I have been frightening people for years, why not

birds? The job is somewhat restricting, but I have a number of visitors.

One little girl and a tid woodman are quite bothersome.

They seem to be under the absurd impression...

that I'm going to go dancing up the road with them.

In keeping with this bucolic mood, tonight we are presenting a pleasant

little tale of homicide, lust, deceit, revenge and greed.

I'm sure you'll love it. It follows this short prologue.

Guess they're selling off everything they can move.

They say lawyers' fees took most of it. It's the way it goes when you're

fighting for your life.

Times like this, I wish I were in some other business.

Looks like a long afternoon.

Grass and irons and screen, that goes with the rest of the hardware, and it's

number 165.

Sandwich glass, milk glass.

I tell you, we'll number these individually and use series 300.

All right.

I'm sorry, Mr. Huckabee.

I don't know what happened.

What was it?

That little milk glass vase.

It's only a replica. Forget it.

By the time this is found, it ought be all over.

Justice will have had its day.

The scales will be in balance again.

It will be all over with me, too.

I'm ill and tired, and I've been dying so long I'm bored with it.

I've lived in the county a long time.

This is my home.

These are my people.

Now they've turned against me.

But still I owe them something.

I owe it to them to set history straight.

To bring to the light of day the two lies that together make a truth.

Aunt Bessie!

Aunt Bessie!

You turn right around and go home. Not on your life. You know what the doctor

said. Who was it? Who fell off the cliff last night? There's nothing you can do

about it now. Go on back to the house. What's it, Ephraim?

Camilla. Tell me.

They think so. They haven't found him yet.

Aunt Bessie, come back here.

What time did you hear him yell?

A little past eight, I'd say. Before eight.

Samantha, I was in the barn by eight. He yelled before that.

I could have sworn that... About ten to eight, Sheriff. I was in the kitchen. I

heard it through the open window.

Bessie!

Did you find the body? Well, we found where he hid his head down below.

And if he fell into that, he probably won't be found on this side of

Tidewater. What's left of him, that is.

He had no business walking this path dark coming on with his eyes as bad as

he were, Bessie. He wasn't used to this path.

He could have taken the road a mile and a half out of his way.

Is this a piece of his mackinaw?

He was wearing it when he left.

Well, he probably got it caught in the fence here and tried to get it loose

and, well, got careless with his footing.

He wasn't used to that fence.

None of us are.

I'm sorry about that. That's a great comfort to us all, Mrs. Watkins.

A great comfort to us all.

F has a nephew in Rhode Island. You'll feel a sight better when I tell him that

the woman who put up the fence that killed F Judge is sorry.

If he was my hired man, I'd have driven him home. If you were me, you'd have

stayed in bed like the doctor ordered. My fence belongs on my property line.

That's where I put it, and that's where it'll stay. If it fenced off a shortcut,

that's too bad. It's legal and proper.

Make of it what you will, but don't try and put the death of F Judge on my

conscience. I don't have to put it there, Mrs. Watkins.

That passed. It's been a public thoroughfare for over a century. You've

had no right. Since when?

Samantha. Now, there's no point in hashing this thing over now.

not going to stand here and hear that old biddy blame me yes and a snooper and

a gossip and a community news you listen to me no wonder i put up that fence it's

the only protection i've got with a neighbor like that i've been a good

neighbor all my life i'm a respected member of this community i was a friend

of the mckelvie's long before you bought high hollow you and that saggy neat

excuse of a husband shut your mouth we got along before you there was this give

and take between us none of this building offenses we got along but

you'll get your come up and you'll see you'll get your

I'm Bessie.

I'm Bessie.

I'm all right.

Put me down. No, no, no. I'll take you home. I get there on my own two legs.

Thanks. If Doc Adamson knew what you was up to, he'd have your hide, Bessie. It's

my hide, Pete Tumble. Put me down. You've had enough exercise for one

morning. Yes, after you.

I guess

I'm to blame for that, too.

Well, I wouldn't be at all surprised.

You didn't have to do that.

It's nothing at all.

So why not?

You sure she won't throw me out?

She didn't mean all that. It's just her way.

Well, wonder you didn't catch your death with that cold morning chill.

Been catching my death for three years. Be a relief when it comes.

Now, now, don't talk like that. The whole county knows I'm gonna die.

After all, isn't everybody?

Only thing is, you prattle so much about it, sounds as though you're asking for

sympathy. I don't need that, thank you. And I didn't need you to tote me home. I

got two good legs.

I just did that to prove to you that my knees aren't as saggy as you think.

I wasn't talking about flesh and blood knees.

I mean the backbone kind.

There now.

Isn't that better?

Expect so.

No need to thank me.

Sit down. Rest yourself.

You know, this is the first time I've ever been inside of this house.

It's no fault of mine.

You can't be as bad as you sound.

I was very fond of Ephraim, Judge.

He worked for me for over 20 years.

I'm awfully sorry about that.

I want you to know that the fence on the property was none of my doing.

Samantha put her mind to it, and I just couldn't change it.

If Samantha wants a fence on the property line, we put a fence on the

property line.

That's what I meant by saggy knees.

I suppose you have a point.

Doc Adamson just pulled up.

You know, I think she's really feeling better.

No fever, at least.

Guess I'd better be going.

I've just made some tea. Would you like a cup? If a man wants to go, there's no

point in holding him.

There's no need to be rude.

Comes easy, though, doesn't it, Bessie?

Go on, have your cup of tea.

Thanks.

No point in saying something nice when it's twice as easy to chew a man out, is

there, Bessie?

Who are you to talk about chewing folks out, Sam Adamson? Oh, you shut up.

Can't hear a thing with all that poison boiling around inside.

Am I still alive?

Barely.

Just barely.

I don't know if it's my responsibility as a medical man to keep a woman like

you alive when you're so all fired bent on killing yourself.

None of the soul searching.

Just do your job.

You've been nipping at that apple jack again, haven't you, Bessie? I have not.

Don't you try to hoodwink me, Bessie Carnby.

What was all that about Applejack?

She's very fond of it.

And he won't let her have a drop.

What a pity.

Lemon? No, thanks. Just plain.

To Bessie.

That's very generous of you.

I hope you won't be too hard on her.

She's very old and very tired.

Of course. I know just how you feel.

You make a very good cup of tea.

Thank you.

The doings out of Bessie Carnby's farm the other day moved us to re-read what

we always thought was one of Robert Frost's best poems.

Something there is that doesn't love a wall, he said.

And we guessed poor old Ephraim Judge, if he was still around, would agree.

Mrs. Wilkins?

Yes, Nora.

I finish the ironing and I'll do the windows first thing in the morning. My

ride's waiting.

Go ahead. Night, ma'am. Good night. Mr. Wilkins.

Henry and Samantha Wilkins up at High Hollow Farm, like the neighbor in the

poem, want every stone in place.

Good fences make good neighbors, they said.

But old Ephraim, along with the poet, would ask, who are they walling in or

walling out?

The fence, we claim, will never make good neighbors of the Wilkins.

F. Judge, who fell off the cliff into Whitewater Rapids because of the fence,

will probably never be found.

And all we can do is hope that if ever a monument is raised to him, somebody has

the good taste to include Frost's opening line, something there is that

doesn't love a war.

Well, it seems we've not only taken on East Huntsville and the rest of the

county, we have to contend with Robert Frost as well.

Henry, I want you to go into town tomorrow and see this editor.

This is a vicious personal attack, and he has got to be made to understand...

Henry, I'm talking to you.

You know something, Henry Wilkins.

Sometimes I wish it were you who had fallen off that cliff.

If I'd been there, I might have given you a push.

Mr. Wilkins.

Yes. Thank you.

Oh, it's nothing at all.

If I'd had more time, I could have done a better job.

I hope it'll do for now.

It will do very well, thank you.

I'll be dropping in from time to time to check up on you until you get a new

hired hand.

Before I go, I think I'll get you some kindling.

Mr. Wilkins, I'm not very good at apologies, so I won't try.

I'll just say that I'd be awfully glad if you'd have supper with us.

Well, I don't know as how Samantha would accept.

Who wears the pants in your family?

You wouldn't be putting my saggy knees to the test now, would you?

I might.

I'd better get that Kinlan. Mr. Wilkins, that was a formal invitation.

You coming?

Well, I'll talk it over with Samantha, and if I'm still alive at suppertime,

I'll be here.

Supper's been ready for half an hour.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I meant to tell you that Carnby's invited us over.

Why? Just being hospitable, I suppose.

We aren't going. Why not?

Because I said so.

Well, I'm going.

And you'd better go back into the house.

You are not going.

Is that clear?

she goes again.

She's been out the barn three times carrying a lantern. What do you suppose

she's up to?

We are about to find out.

Aunt Bessie, you did an inexcusable thing daring him to come along.

Don't fret about it. I don't. No matter what the provocation, no matter what

happened out there at the fence, you had no right to insult her. I don't care if

I did.

You're old enough to know better.

And you're big enough to bury your feelings for one evening.

Come on, now. We are going up there to invite Samantha in person.

Oh, I will not.

Aunt Bessie, please. Now, don't make me go up there alone.

The man has no gumption.

He ought to stand up to her.

He has.

How do you know?

The day we had tea, he must have felt like getting it off his mind.

Poor man's in a trap.

She owns everything.

The farm, the furnishings, the car, and never lets him forget it.

Well, he could leave her. He did.

Once.

She tried to kill him.

What? With a pistol.

She missed and then turned it on herself.

He still has nightmares about it.

He is deathly afraid of her.

That she'll kill him?

That's why I don't want him to antagonize her. I would feel responsible

if anything happened.

Good heavens!

Mrs. Wilkins!

What do you want?

Aunt Bessie thought she made it clear to your husband that she wanted you both to

come to dinner.

And then when we began comparing notes, we got the feeling that you might think

it was only Henry.

I hope you'll forgive us.

I'd like to speak to Mr. Wilkins. Where is he? He's gone.

Where? He didn't say. He left very suddenly.

When will he be back?

I haven't the slightest idea.

Good night.

What do you suppose she was doing in the bath?

What do you want?

22, 23, 24.

Is the pain getting worse?

Considerable. How bad is that?

Well, I'd let you try it for a while if I could.

Well, I'll up these one a day.

But don't take them if you can do without.

Understand?

Sam. Yeah?

Sit down a minute.

Oh, I got other calls to make, Bessie.

They can wait five minutes.

That's better.

I know it's getting worse, Bessie.

I wish there was something I could do.

But all we can do from here on out is to fight the pain.

That's not what I wanted to talk about.

Sam, tell me.

Am I a nosy, suspicious old bitty like that Mrs. Wilkins said?

Why do you let that woman rile you so?

That's one reason the pain's getting worse. You sit here chewing that over

all the time.

Answer me.

Took up bird watching.

Got a pair of bobber links building a nest out yonder.

How long has he been gone?

Ten days.

Well, he won't be the first man to take off after a fight with his wife.

I think she did away with him.

Does that make me a busybody?

It sure does.

Sixteen-cylinder, jet-propelled.

Now, why in the world do you want to meddle with that when you've got maybe

six months left on this planet?

Can't die here in peace with a murderous next door to Kamala.

She won me throughout all eternity.

Who said she's a murderess? I do.

He told Kamala she threatened to kill him. Well, that's Pete Turnbull's

business, not mine.

And your business is to tend to your own knitting, not your neighbor's.

Now, you mind what I did about those pills.

Do you take sugar, Nora? Yes, thank you. You might explain to her that we'd only

want you half day a week.

Well, I don't know how Mrs. Wilkins would feel about that.

There can't be very much for you to do now, since Mr. Wilkins left. He'll be

gone a long time, they say.

Who says?

I just happened to hear it uptown.

A long time?

Well, after all, you should know, Nora. You do the upstairs rooms, don't you?

Yes, ma'am. Well, you'd know if he packed for a long trip or a short one.

Well, that's just the point. He didn't pack at all.

No suits, no clothes, not even so much as a toothbrush.

Well.

Well, indeed.

It's the Lord's truth, not even so much as his toothbrush.

Doesn't that seem strange to you, that he'd go off in the dead of night without

packing a stitch?

Well, it's a strange house.

I mean suspicious.

Of what?

That she killed him.

Killed him?

Heavens, no.

Why, she may jump on him now and then, but she wouldn't do a thing like that.

That's illegal.

There's no law says a man can't leave town as, if, and when he wants to, with

or without a toothbrush.

Bessie?

Thanks. Pamela? No, thank you.

Well, how is it, Bessie?

Very good.

If I wasn't on duty, I'd join you.

You know, I think old Doc Adamson's making a big mistake, denying you that.

Good belt of Applejack, two or three times a day, you wouldn't be so darn

mean.

She hasn't had a phone call from him since he left.

Or a letter. Or a postal card.

He didn't pack a stitch of clothing.

Not even his reading glasses.

And he didn't leave town by train or bus, we've checked.

Oh, you have, have you?

Well, that still doesn't mean there's any foul play.

Can I see you a moment, Sheriff?

Bessie, I'm sorry.

Are you waiting for his body to turn up on the village green?

Now, if it does, just don't you hesitate to call me.

I don't think his body's going to turn up on the village green.

Closer to home, maybe.

Huh?

I still wonder what Samantha was doing in the barn.

Peace offering.

I don't know as I should. Oh, please take it. Whatever else I am, Mrs.

Wilkins, I'm not sneaky.

I don't like doing things behind a person's back.

I was upset when your husband didn't come for supper two weeks ago.

I was puzzled when he didn't come by to explain.

But now, a fortnight later, and no word from him. I must say, I am concerned.

I'm sure he'd appreciate that. I don't. Oh, I'm sorry. Have you had word from

him? It's none of your business.

A phone call, a telegram, a letter?

Mrs. Canby, I'm afraid you'll have to excuse me.

Wait a minute. I'm not through.

He must have flown out of here, Mrs. Wilkins. There's no record of his taking

either train or bus.

So all right, he flew.

And I suggest you fly off my property before I call the sheriff.

Let's save her the trouble.

Penny! Be still!

I knew it when I saw her going back and forth to the barn.

How long has he been dead?

Can't tell.

Quicklime.

It's not Henry. It can't be.

You did buy quicklime in town just before he took off, didn't you, Mrs.

Wilkins? A colt died.

He sent me for it.

We buried it out there in the pasture.

We had three of them sick at once.

I was doctoring the other two.

That's why I was going into the barn.

That's what she saw.

You still say your husband just went off on a trip somewhere?

I do.

No idea where?

No. Maybe you better take a closer look.

I don't care to.

It isn't my husband.

You recognize this, Mrs. Wilkins?

Where'd you get it?

Whose is it?

It's Henry's ring. Where'd you get it?

I'm afraid so.

Third finger, left hand.

And this button was in the other hand.

We have arrived at the intermission.

Time for rest, relaxation.

for stretching one's legs and identifying one's station.

I can't say whether that's it. I want to be sure.

Is it the same brand, Ed?

Yeah. And the quantity?

Twenty-five pounds.

That's what she bought.

Said Henry had a disposal job to do.

How much would it take to do the job, Doc?

Five pounds, even less.

She wants to use twenty.

I talked to Henry afterwards, asked him what he wanted with all that quicklime.

He gave me a funny look, and then he said, what quicklime?

Thanks, Ed. If I need you, I can touch.

Right.

Look again, Mrs. Wilkins.

Sure you don't recognize these things?

Well, Mrs. Wilkins, looks like you're just about whipped.

She has no idea how this got in the stove.

The Henrys.

I tried to burn them.

I was in a panic. I was scared to death.

I knew what they were all thinking.

I had no idea where Henry went.

When I found these things, I knew what it would look like.

So I tried to get rid of them.

I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth.

You still say Henry took off that night on his own?

We had a quarrel about Mrs. Carnby's dinner invitation.

Nothing unusual about that, is there?

That's just it.

We'd been quarreling all during our marriage.

For the first time, Henry wanted to sit down and talk about it.

Wanted to try and get to the bottom of all the quarreling and the bitterness

and the misery.

Thought about it for a long time.

And then he said he'd better go off on his own for a while.

Why?

It weren't normal for a woman to be the head of the house.

He said he wanted to try and prove himself.

Or prove he could make it on his own without any help from me.

Said he wouldn't write, no phone.

Wouldn't come home until he'd done it.

There was something so real about it this time.

As though he really meant it.

Well, I let him go upstairs and pack. I heard him leave.

Didn't say goodbye.

Couldn't face it somehow.

Wasn't until the next day that I found he left everything behind.

Except his money.

Mrs. Wilkins, how do you reckon he ended up here?

I don't know.

With this in his right hand.

I don't know.

I don't know.

Well, I know it sounds like I'm making it up, but it's the truth!

We have a bulletin from the state capitol.

The governor denied a last appeal from attorneys representing Samantha Wilkins,

convicted of murdering her husband in the body in the barn case.

The Easter season notwithstanding, Mrs. Wilkins was executed at 7 o'clock this

evening, the first woman to suffer the death penalty in this state in 17 years.

She maintained her innocence to the last.

This completes another day of programming.

And now may we extend our cordial best wishes to you all at this Easter season

as we bid you good night.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you.

What are you?

Well, I came back to apologize for backing out of that dinner invitation.

Where have you been?

Everywhere. South Pacific, Australia, east coast of Africa.

Able seaman, no less. And here's a fine bottle of brandy from France.

We thought you were dead.

You don't mean that.

What happened?

Samantha knows all about it. We discussed it the night I left.

Here, try it.

But don't tell me you don't like Brandy anymore.

She said... She said you... Oh, she probably didn't want to go into it. It's

kind of personal between the two of us. But it worked.

I've made it. I've got a trade. I can stand on my own two feet. I'm respected.

And for the first time, I'm coming home to her with some pride.

Oh, I brought her this.

It's awfully pretty, and I'd like your opinion.

Now...

Do you think she'll like it?

I... I don't know what to... Of course not.

How could you? Every woman's taste is different.

Where's Camilla?

Working late at the library.

Don't tell her I'm back. I want to surprise her.

I expect Samantha's gone to bed.

Has she said anything about my coming back?

Not for a long time.

Good.

Mrs. Carnby, I can't tell you how much I've missed her.

Well, goodnight now.

24, 25, 26, 27, 28.

It's all my fault.

Let's not start that. You've got troubles enough.

It's true.

I should go out to the village green and shout it to the world. I did it.

Me and my busybody. Why don't you hit me in the head?

Why, Sam?

Well, what you're doing is worse.

You had a right to get curious. But it was me that killed her. If only I hadn't

been so ready to identify the body.

The coroner said it was the most natural mistake in the world.

What with all that quicklime?

Only I'm not supposed to make mistakes.

They'll forgive you, but they won't forgive a professional.

F. Judge was 20 years older than Henry.

There were differences in height and build.

The trouble is, I was ready to believe it was Henry the minute they called me.

Don't matter now if they never find who picked that body out of the river and

buried it in the barn.

The fact is the people of this county murdered an innocent woman.

And if any one of us is responsible, it's me.

Raise up.

Raise up. Huh?

Come on.

And if I'm still alive at suppertime, I'll be here.

Poor man's in a trap.

She owns everything.

My knees aren't as saggy as you think.

She tried to kill him.

They aren't as saggy as you think.

She owns everything.

They aren't as saggy as you think.

Good morning, Bessie.

Camilla.

And the wall comes tumbling down.

You're looking rather chipper this morning, Bessie.

You're doing this to please me?

Naturally.

Well, my innards may not be what they ought to be.

But there's nothing wrong with my head. Not yet, anyway.

What do you mean, Aunt Bessie? I thought you'd be pleased Mr. Wilkins is taking

down the fence.

The only thing Mr. Wilkins could do to please me... would be to march down to

Pete Turnbull's office and tell him how F. Judge's body come to be buried in his

barn. Not only how, but why.

I had a little talk with Mr. Turnbull about that very thing.

We decided, for the sake of the town and his own political future, and for

several other reasons, that old F. is best off in the cemetery right where

they put him.

You're a confidence man, Henry Wilkins.

You fooled me, your wife, Sam Adamson, the sheriff, all of us.

You made a murder weapon of this county. You have no right to talk to Henry that

way. Oh, it's Henry now, is it?

Shh, Camilla, I don't mind.

Look, Bessie, you're blaming your neighbors for a lot more than you ought

to, don't you think?

After all, it was your doing.

Olef would be there still if it wasn't for you.

That's what you say.

That's what they're all saying uptown. You may not know it. You stay home all

the time, you wouldn't have a chance to hear it.

Bessie, you killed poor Samantha.

You and your prying little mind made a grieving widower out of me.

They know better than that.

Kamala, drive Bessie uptown and let her hear it for herself.

I'll see you tonight.

That's what you think.

Show the gentleman out.

Aunt Bessie.

Show the gentleman out.

Dear Aunt Bessie. Don't you call me that.

But I'm perfectly willing to forget the past. You took my wife from me, a woman

who was my strength and sustenance for almost 15 years.

They're all saying that I'll never forgive you.

But I'm willing to turn the other cheek. Campbell.

No, Aunt Bessie. This is going to be Henry's house, too.

What?

We're going to be married.

That's why the fence came down.

Brandy and Bessie?

There's no proof. There's nothing.

Now, the only thing we would be able to offer in court is that Henry Wilkins

must have buried that body because we found it in his barn.

Now, nobody saw anything.

Nobody knows where he found the body if he did. Nobody knows anything.

Bessie, Henry Wilkins has made fools out of us once before.

Now, you can call it politics, you can call it discretion, you can call it

anything you want.

But from the supervisors on down, there isn't a man that wants to take on Henry

Wilkins again.

You're cowards, all of you.

Oh, sure, that's easy for you to say.

But I've got to live with these people. Oh, Bessie, I'm sorry. I talked to the

doctor, and he told me about you, and I'm honestly sorry, and you know that.

But I've got to live with these people.

What if I told you he was planning to kill me?

Now, what do you mean by that?

I told him I was going to disinherit Kamala.

He's got his eye on this farm.

Not Kamala.

He wants to join it to high holler.

You sure he's... He's been giving me my medicine.

Morphine pills.

I've been missing him.

Few at a time.

Think he's saving him up somewhere.

Wanted you to know that.

Just in case.

Yeah, Bessie, yeah.

Sure.

You sure she isn't snitching these pills on the side?

She dropped a half a bottle down the drain.

You sure?

That's what she said.

Now, I want her to have no more than one of these every four hours.

You see to that, will you?

Right. She's a sick old lady.

When it comes, I want her to be in the right way.

You understand what I mean?

Of course I understand. Don't you worry.

I'll take care of the pills.

Sorry. Sure.

Bessie's prescription.

Henry? Henry?

Henry?

What is it now?

Is there any way to begin?

What's got into you?

When you feel the hand on you, you can't... dislike anyone anymore, Henry.

I'm just finding that out.

You don't mean?

Afraid so.

I can't hate anymore.

I want you to forgive me.

Really.

Bessie.

Please, Henry.

Forgive a dying woman who's made a lot of mistakes.

Very well.

What else do you want?

I want to go to sleep.

And you'd like to have another pill?

Yes.

No, Bessie, not until midnight.

One every four hours. That's what the doctor said.

Must you always do what the doctor says?

But, Bessie, I'm concerned about you. After all, you're my responsibility.

I wouldn't want to get careless at this point, would I now?

It's unbranded.

Well... Please.

Oh, all right.

Yes, by the time this is found, it ought to be all over with Henry.

Justice took a wild ride, but I hope it ends up at the right place.

All the lies and the stupidity and the bungling somehow must add up to truth.

I hope Henry Wilkins thinks of that when they lead him off to the execution for

killing me.

Steady now. I know how much he meant to you.

I don't think I can go through with it, Mr. Gregg. A funeral is always a trial.

You'll do fine.

Come along.

He didn't. They hanged an innocent man.

Steady, steady.

That

is

the end of tonight's story.

We would like to show you more, but we seem to be running out of characters.

I decided to come down from my pedestal.

The birds lack the proper respect.

I also took umbrage at one person's observation that the whole scene looked

like a coat of arms for television, a large ham rampant on a field of corn.

Until next week, good night.