[Winky Dink]

Terry,
I did replace the "special" capacitor with an ordinary cap (no coil).

I'm sorry that my misuse of the jargon confuses the issue of how much I understand in the electronic realm.
I do understand the flow of current through the tubes, and your "I think what you maybe asking..." is correct.
I am measuring resistance to the common negative (negative side of the filter caps) and I'm not getting the expected resistance from from the plates and few other points. I also tried measuring to the chassis, but I get the same results from the plate. And I can't see on the schematic any pathway from a plate to common negative (or to the chassis). When I say "I can't see it," I mean that if it's there, then I don't understand it.

In the meantime, a couple of hours ago I was doing the voltage checks again. I touched one pin, heard a half-second "Bz-z-t," and the radio went dark and silent. I have to figure that one out, then go back to the original question.

Thanks for the reply. It's likely that I've overlooked something too obvious for you to consider. If you figure out what I'm asking, then you'll probably be able to explain it to me. I really appreciate your help.