THE AFFAIR AT GROVER STATION
[SHORT-STORY]
“A ghost story based on a short story by Willa Cather… Terrapin Rodgers recounts to Will Carter
the riddle of his friend’s death. Carter becomes involved, and terrified.”
[Wikipedia] “The Affair at Grover Station is a short story by Willa Cather. It was first published
in Library in June 1900 in two instalments, and reprinted in the Lincoln Courier one month later.
“The outer narrator meets with his old friend Rodgers by Sterling, Colorado, and asks about the
murdered agent at Grover station. Rodgers explains that on the 31st of December there was
supposed to be a ball at Cheyenne, Wyoming. His friend Larry asked him to ask Helen if she
would be available to go with him. Helen replied that she had told Mr Freymark she would go
with him, but she would cancel as Larry took precedence over him. Freymark then went to the
station and overheard the two men make arrangements as to sending her flowers, and left saying
he had heard what he wanted to hear. Later, Larry didn't turn up and Rodgers went to pick up
Helen and told her Larry was late. At the ball, she danced with Rodgers until Freymark showed up
and she danced with him. By the end of the night, Larry's spaniel Duke came hurtling at
Freymark, who soon disappeared from the place. The next day, Rodgers went about the station
and then up to Grover, Colorado. There, he found a blood stain on Larry's bed but thought it must
have been nosebleed. During the night however, he got woken up by what looked like Larry's
ghost, writing on the chalk board. The next morning, he realised the ghost had written the
number of a train, where Larry's body was to be found in Omaha. Upon seeing the body, Rodgers
realised the hands were stained by chalk. By then, Freymark had gone, never to be found again.
The Division Superintendent did not believe him, after Freymark admitted to drinking brandy
that night.”
[CHRONOLOGY]
(RADIO 4, LONDON)
[
December 27, 1997 “The Affair at Grover Station” [EXTANT RECORDING]
[“..A geological student asks an old friend about the recent murder of a
station agent…”]
PERSONNEL: Ross Brown (music? Or sound design?), Jonathan Holloway
(scriptwriter), David Hunter (director).
CAST: Nancy Crane, Stuart Milligan, Kerry Shale, Tom Watt.