What happens
Deacon Caswell, a pious and smooth-talking stranger, arrives at a small-town hotel and befriends Mrs. Clark, whose bridge partners have been swindling her. Johnny and his fiancée Phyllis worry about the debts that have been piling up for Mrs. Clark under the grip of Mr. Cunningham. The Deacon takes a hand in the card games, and his winnings soon draw the attention of the local sheriff. Johnny is caught up in the trouble afterward. This episode of Screen Guild Theater, first broadcast on August 7, 1944, is adapted from a stage play and stars Charles Winninger, Martha O'Driscoll and Noah Beery Jr.
A small town hotel and its surrounding streets, including a barbershop and the local wrestling ring
Characters: Deacon Caswell, Mrs. Clark, Phyllis, Johnny, Mr. Cunningham, Mrs. Gregory, Slim Sullivan, Tony
Listen for: The Deacon's exchanges during the card games with Mrs. Gregory and the other players, and Johnny's confrontation with Mr. Cunningham
Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.