The Cat and the Canary

1
On a lonely, pine-clad
 hill overlooking the
Hudson, stood the grotesque
mansion of an eccentric
millionaire - -

2
Medicine could do nothing 
  more for Cyrus West,
whose greedy relatives, like
cats around a canary, had
brought him to the verge of
madness - -

3
- - and for twenty years, it
was said, the tormented ghost
of Cyrus West wandered
nightly through the deserted
corridors.

4
But on the night when 
the will was to be read,
there was something more
tangible than a ghost in the
house.

5
"I have come to read the
will of Cyrus West.
Have any of the heirs
arrived yet?"

6
"No, Mr. Crosby."

7
"You must have been 
lonely here these twenty
years, Mammy Pleasant."

8
"I don't need the
living ones."

9
"I locked this safe twenty 
years ago - - and now
a moth comes out!"

10
"Who has been in 
this house?"

11
"No one but I - -
and his ghost."

12
"No ghost could have opened 
these envelopes - -"

13
"Nobody knows the 
combination of that 
safe but - - you!"

14
"Harry Blythe!"

15
"It's good to see you 
again after all these 
years!"

16
"Surely you remember
your little protege,
Charlie Wilder?"

17
"Hello, Cousin Harry!"

18
"Isn't it about time
you forgot your family
quarrels?"

19
"Why don't you 
drive in?"

20
"Not for a million 
bucks!"

21
"Why?"

22
"GHOSTS!"

23
Aunt Susan and her 
 niece, Cecily.

24
                      house!"
               spooky
            a
       what
"Gosh

25
"You're Paul Jones,
aren't you?"

26
"What was that explosion
we just heard?"

27
"I was driving along
when I heard a shot --"

28
"I was driving along
when I heard a shot 
and a bullet whizzed
right by my nose."

29
"I was driving along --"

30
"I was driving along --"

31
"I was driving along 
and a bullet --"

32
"As I was saying - -
it missed me!"

33
"It is midnight - -
you must read the
will."

34
"We've got to wait for
Annabelle West."

35
"Annabelle?"

36
"Why, Paul! I haven't
seen you since nurse
dropped you on your 
head."

37
"She's certainly the image
of Cyrus West, and I'll 
bet she's crazy, too!"

38
"It isn't time to be catty
- - wait till we see
who gets the money."

39
"You've had twenty years
to get ready for this meet-
ing. It's a wonder you
couldn't be here on time!"

40
"That clock hasn't struck 
in twenty years - -
since the old man died."

41
"My relatives have watched
my wealth as if they
were cats, and I - - a
canary - -"

42
"- - they have nearly 
driven me crazy because
they believe I am mad."

43
"- - Therefore, my entire
estate goes to my most
distant relative, bearing 
the name - -"

44
"- - OF WEST!"

45
"Annabelle, I am glad you 
 won even though I lost."

46
"You're to open this envelope
in his room tonight before
you retire - - it was his
last wish."

47
"I'm going - - I didn't
want the crazy fool's
money, anyway!"

48
"What is in that envelope
 she gave to Annabelle?"

49
"Perhaps it will tell what
became of the famous
West diamonds."

50
"- - but there is an
embarrassing condition
attached to this will - -"

51
"A physician is named in
the will who must examine
the heir and positively
establish his or her sanity."

52
"If you are proven mentally 
unfit by the doctor who
comes tonight, the estate
goes to the one named in 
the envelope in my pocket."

53
"I beg your pardon - -"

54
"What was the last 
thing you said?"

55
"He said, the heir must be
proven sane or the estate
goes to the one mentioned
in the envelope in his 
pocket."

56
"He dictated that paragraph
because he knew that all 
his relatives thought him
crazy."

57
"Now I know he was
crazy."

58
"This is an evil omen
- - something terrible
will happen here tonight."

59
"If you ever need me 
for anything, Annabelle,
let me know."

60
"Please don't go. Paul
- - don't leave me 
alone with these people!"

61
"I'm sure Mammy Pleasant
will be glad to serve you
something if you'll go into
the dining room."

62
"I'm sure a cup of tea
would comfort Aunt
Susan."

63
"Please excuse us - -
Mr. Crosby wants to
discuss the conditions
of the will."

64
"You are just like your 
uncle - - in a cage,
surrounded by cats."

65
"What did the old woman 
mean, saying that some-
thing terrible would 
happen tonight?"

66
"Just an old superstition.
When somebody's picture
falls, it's a sign of - -
death!"

67
"I thought I had an 
appointment - - now
I'm sure of it!"

68
"An escaped lunatic is at
large - - I'm looking 
for him."

69
"Well, what are you 
doing here?"

70
"He's either in this house 
or on the grounds."

71
"I tracked him to your 
driveway gates."

72
"Leave it to me - -
I'll lock the doors and 
windows."

73
"What are you trying 
to give us - - a bed-
time story?"

74
"If you ever saw this 
lunatic you wouldn't
think it was a bedtime
story!"

75
"He's a maniac who thinks 
he's a cat, and tears his
victims like they were 
canaries!"

76
"What's the big idea - -
trying to scare the women 
to death?"

77
"I'm just doing my 
duty."

78
"He may be hiding in 
the house. You'd better 
show me around."

79
"Nobody leaves this 
house tonight!"

80
"This envelope contains
the name of the heir in 
case you are adjudged
insane - -"

81
"The one named in this 
envelope has opened it,
knows the conditions
and may do you harm!"

82
"In case your sanity is
questioned by the doctor
who comes tonight, you
ought to be warned who
your successor is."

83
"- - the name is - -"

84
"Mr. Crosby disappeared!"

85
"Don't look at me as if I
were crazy - - I tell you
Mr. Crosby disappeared!"

86
"Mr. Crosby disappeared!"

87
"Just when he was about 
to tell me the name - -
he disappeared with the 
envelope!"

88
"I knew that envelope
would disappear!"

89
"Pretty lucky for Annabelle
that envelope disappeared."

90
"Will you please 
shut up!"

91
"Where was Crosby 
when you last saw 
him?"

92
"Just where Paul stands
now."

93
"Didn't I tell you? She's
as crazy as Cyrus West!"

94
"Why don't you look for
Mr. Crosby, instead of
staring at me!"

95
"I'll bet she knows where 
Crosby is right now."

96
"But I tell you I don't
know - - he dis-
appeared."

97
"Where is Mammy
Pleasant while all this 
is going on?"

98
"Perhaps Annabelle
arranged for her dis-
appearance, too."

99
"Your rooms are ready."

100
"I'll not leave this room
until I know where
that envelope is!"

101
"Who is that girl?"

102
"Annabelle West - -
our little cousin."

103
"Haven't you found any-
body to put in your 
strait-jacket yet?"

104
"No - - but I will
before I leave."

105
"Thank you, Guard - - I
know you will protect us."

106
"Nobody has slept in that 
bed since the death of 
Cyrus West - - twenty
years ago."

107
"I'm scared to death - -
let me stay here with 
you."

108
"What are you doing 
here?"

109
"I - - I - - was look-
ing for - - Mr. Crosby."

110
"Mr. Crosby wouldn't 
be here - - under the
circumstances."

111
"Don't forget the letter 
about the West diamonds."

112
"I feel sociable tonight
- - may I come in?"

113
"D-d-don't you be
f-frightened - - I
- I'm in the house."

114
"I'm not at all clever, 
Annabelle - - but I 
care a lot for you."

115
"And I like you, too,
Paul."

116
"If I had been named in 
the will, Annabelle, I
would have offered the 
fortune to you."

117
"Come and sleep in
my room."

118
"I'd like to see anybody
get in here."

119
"I'd like to see anybody
get out of here."

120
"I always look under 
the bed but I've never
found anything yet."

121
"You're not what Aunt
Susan expected, but
come out anyway."

122
"I came in here to protect
you from the ghost!"

123
"All men are alike, only
some are worse. Now
you get out!"

124
"Have you ever seen any-
thing that looked like a 
ghost in this house?"

125
"There may be one stand-
ing behind you now!"

126
"HELP!"

127
"She's ab-so-lute-ly
crazy!"

128
"This wall seems 
sound."

129
"This is a matter for
the police."

130
"Nobody answers - -
the wires have been
cut."

131
"I'm going for the
police."

132
"I'm going for the
police."

133
"Let me go - - you'd
better stay here."

134
"It must have been the 
maniac who killed him.
I'll go for the guard."

135
"What's this all about, 
Paul?"

136
"Don't interrupt me - -
I think I'm thinking!"

137
"The solution of this
mystery is in the
envelope in Crosby's
pocket."

138
"The person named in 
that envelope is the one 
who murdered Crosby."

139
"I'm going to take that 
envelope out of Crosby's 
pocket."

140
"And I'm going with 
you."

141
"SUSAN!"

142
"SUSAN!"

143
"SUSAN!"

144
"HELP!"

145
"HELP!"

146
"G-G-G-GHOSTS?"

147
"I am the doctor."

148
"What makes you so 
nervous tonight?"

149
"First, Mr. Crosby was
murdered - -"

150
"Murdered - - before
I came?"

151
"- - then a hand, like a 
claw or a spider, came
out from the wall and
stole the necklace I was
wearing."

152
"You mean to say that
a hand came out of
the wall and stole your
necklace?"

153
"- - and now Paul 
and Aunt Susan have 
disappeared."

154
"May I have a glass
of water?"

155
"Annabelle!"

156
"I can't find Aunt Susan!"

157
"Are you related to this 
young lady?"

158
"I'll report on this case
in the morning."

159
"Did I hear you say that
a man was murdered?"

160
"Ghosts are murdering 
people in the Cyrus
West house!"

161
"It's about time you
climbed on a milk
wagon."

162
"Don't be smart - - I 
tell you they're ghosts!"

163
"All right - - we'll
soon find out what
it's all about."

164
"Give me a hand, Guard
- - here's your -
maniac!"

165
"Look out for him! He's
the guy named in the
second envelope!"

166
"He hired me to help
put the girl in the bug-
house, so he could get
the money!"

167
"He killed Crosby - -
the body is in the cellar 
now - - and I'll bet
you'll find the necklace
on him!"

168
"Everything's all right,
Annabelle. The guilty
man is caught."

169
"Annabelle, the mansion
is yours, but you don't
want to live here alone,
do you?"

FINIS