THE STORY: Mrs. Gillis lives alone in a large house. Her son was killed during the war, and she takes a motherly interest in Howard, the pathetic youth she has hired to clean floors. Howard, however, shows signs of paranoia, and he sometimes has lapses during which he completely forgets what he has done only a few minutes before. All of Mrs. Gillis’ efforts to help merely result in Howard becoming suspicious. Tension mounts as Howard, at intervals, becomes wholly friendly and helpful. But Mrs. Gillis becomes more and more worried. When friends come to the house Howard prevents her from conveying any message to them, and she finds herself imprisoned in her own home. Howard then decides to move into Mrs. Gillis’ home. But later when an employee from the phone company comes to the house, after the phone is found to be disconnected, it seems the old lady may be saved. The phone man manages to call the police while Howard disappears. Neither Mrs. Gillis nor the phone man know where Howard is. Ready to leave, Mrs. Gillis goes up to get her things, but it is Howard who slowly comes down and confronts the phone man. Suspecting the worst, the latter runs upstairs and when he appears again the expression on his face confirms this.
