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1-34 of 34
- When a Southern belle chooses one suitor over another, the loser plots revenge on his rival by causing him to desert the Confederate Army during the Civil War.
- The play takes place in New York City during the panic of 1907. Gideon Bloodgood, a prominent banker, is on the eve of absconding, owing to the affairs of his bank being in a precarious condition. At this juncture relief comes in the person of Captain Fairweather, who has sold out his interests in the Mercantile Marine Company, intending to retire from the active duties of his profession. Fairweather comes to Bloodgood's bank; it is after banking hours, but he prevails upon Bloodgood to accept his money, amounting to $100,000, as a special deposit. News come that the captain who was to have taken command of Fairweather' s ship has met with a severe accident and is unable to sail. His old employers prevail upon Fairweather to make this final trip. He is about to go on board when his attention is attracted by the newsboys shouting "Extra." He buys a paper and is horrified to discover that Bloodgood's bank is in a shaky condition. He rushes hack to the bank and demands his money. Bloodgood and his assistant, Badger, who are dividing the money received from the captain, are startled by the entrance of the captain. He demands his money. Bloodgood tells him it is after banking hours, and to come the next day. The intense excitement brings on a fit of apoplexy, and the captain falls dead in the banker's office. They carry the body out on the sidewalk, and circumstances point to the fact that the captain dropped dead in the streets. Bloodgood prevails upon Badger to go out west and the captain's money saved the bank. Several years elapse and Captain Fairweather's widow and children are in destitute circumstances. The boy, Paul, tries to make a living selling newspapers, and his sister. Lucy, selling flowers. Bloodgood discovers that they are living in one of his tenements and he gives orders to his superintendent to dispossess them. Bloodgood is rolling in luxury and the family whose money he has stolen are reduced practically to beggary. In the meantime, Badger meets with hard luck in the west and is broke. While the captain was lying dead in the office Badger managed to secure the receipt that Bloodgood gave him for the money. An idea comes to Badger to return to New York and sell the receipt to Bloodgood. Badger manages with great difficulty to make his way back to New York City, and arrives at Bloodgood's mansion. With the receipt as a weapon, he makes Bloodgood promise to pay him handsomely. At this moment, Paul Fairweather, the son, in answer to an advertisement by Bloodgood for a servant on his estate, appears on the scene. Both Bloodgood and Badger discover that he is the son of the man they have robbed, and Bloodgood orders him from the house. Badger goes to a poor tenement, and in the next room by a strange coincidence, lives the Fairweather family. Bloodgood follows Badger and discovers his abiding place, and being afraid that Badger will blackmail him owing to the possession of the receipt, determines to set fire to the house and thus destroy the evidence of his crime. Mrs. Fairweather becomes despondent over their unhappy situation and determines to end it all by asphyxiation. Her daughter discovers this and they determine to die together. The fire that Bloodgood started is now making rapid headway and Badger in his room is overcome by the fumes. An alarm of fire is turned in and the fire department starts for the scene. Paul sees the flames and dashes into the house, resolving to save his family. With the assistance of a fireman, the women are carried out to safety. Passing Badger's room, Paul discovers there is someone inside. Bursting in the door he rescues Badger, who has managed to secure the receipt. Out of gratitude Badger tells Paul the whole story, and forces Bloodgood to make restitution. Badger is about to call in the police and hand his old partner into custody, when Paul, seeing the banker's great devotion to his only child, and thinking of the disgrace it would bring upon the girl, refuses to prosecute. The story ends happily with the Fairweather family in possession of the fortune their father left them, and Badger becomes a useful member of society.
- The scapegrace son of a saloonkeeper becomes infatuated with the daughter of one of his father's alcoholic customers, and frames her sweetheart in a crime.
- A young German woman in New York is sheltered unwittingly by a vicious criminal until she has a chance encounter with a society woman who adopts her.
- Twin sisters, brought up separately, one by gypsies, and unaware of each other's existance, are reunited.
- Louise, a country girl, studious and very ambitious to go through college, finds the beat too oppressive to remain indoors, so seeks the shade of a large cherry tree. Being endowed with the usual vigor of a country girl, she climbs the tree and leisurely settles down to read. Professor Mooney finds chasing butterflies too irksome and goes to rest under the same tree. Occasionally a cherry drops on the Professor's head. He pays but little attention to them. A shoe falls by his side unnoticed, then a stocking drops upon the book he is reading. He absent-mindedly picks up the stocking, wipes his face with it, and then places it in his trouser's pocket. Soon he falls asleep. In the meantime, Louise tries to climb higher in the tree, but her foot slips and her books fall, one of them dropping on the professor, followed by Louise, who lands plump on the professor's head. Later Louise receives a communication from the professor, saying his board is willing to offer her tuition at half price, provided she is willing to assist in the chores. Louise is grieved to think she is unable to accept this kind offer, but her mother cheers her up by giving her some money she has saved, which is enough to carry her through at the half price rate. At school, Louise is the victim of all the practical jokes of the girls. She finally gathers sufficient courage to take revenge. In the dead of night, the night before commencement, she steals their corsets, ties them with the string and suspends them from the college chimney. This causes much dismay and distress among the girls, as well as lots of fun for the guests. No one suspects Louise is the culprit, but she confesses to the principal, who declares his love for her, afterwards disclosing who the culprit is, and announcing his engagement to her.
- Louise, the daughter of a widowed lawyer, is invited to a weekend party given by her friend Betty. She arrives a day ahead of the other guests in order to be of assistance to her friend, and at luncheon that day is introduced to Mr. Wilson, the secretary to Betty's father. After the repast Betty has some shopping to do and asks Mr. Wilson and Louise to accompany her to the store in her automobile. They agree and while Betty is making purchases, Mr. Wilson drives Louise around the city. She is much impressed with the suave and reticent manner of the young secretary, as she has only seen the frivolous side of life. Paul Mason, a rich, but conceited young man, is among the guests that arrive the next day. He singles out Louise as being the girl of his choice and begins to shower attentions upon her. But they are not welcomed, and one evening she manages to escape from him and runs into the library to Mr. Wilson. Mr. Wilson, who is of humble birth, is greatly surprised to be sought out by such a charming young lady as Louise when there are so many rich men in the house. Mason learns of Louise's action and the next day he invites her to take an automobile ride with him. She reluctantly agrees and when gone a short time he tries to embrace her. She repulses him and after an unpleasant ride they return home. Betty notices that Louise is sad and upon inquiring learns the whole story. Even though Betty tells her that she was very foolish in rejecting such a rich young man, Louise starts to pack her belongings, while Betty goes to her father to explain things. Mr. Wilson, who is in the next room, hears everything and is made very happy by the incident. After the conference with her father, Betty goes to Louise and tries to make her see things as she does, but her expostulations are of no avail, Louise being fully determined to go. Just before stepping into the carriage she returns to the house on the pretext of having left her handkerchief upstairs, hut in reality to say good-bye to Mr. Wilson. It is now or never with Louise and she hands the secretary her instructions to write her. Louise arrives home safely and after waiting a week for a letter she becomes a little discouraged. But her sorrow is short-lived for one day Wilson himself calls upon her. He shows her a letter offering him a position as secretary to the Ambassador to England. At first Louise is sad when she knows that Wilson, if he accepts the position, would pass out of her life forever, hut when he says that he would like her to accompany him if he accepts the position, she bows her head in acquiescence and falls into his outstretched arms.
- Herr Puppenmacher, the old toymaker of Nuremberg, has two ambitions, one being to make a life-size electric doll that will walk and talk, and the other is to marry his pretty daughter Gretel to a nobleman. Both these ambitions are fostered by the elderly Baron Crosswig, who desires a wonderful doll to present to the king's little daughter on her birthday. In consulting the old toymaker about the doll, the Baron has beheld the fair Gretel and has asked her hand in marriage of the toymaker. But this proposal carries with it the proviso that the toymaker must furnish his daughter with a large dowry. The meet the wishes of the Baron in this direction, the old toymaker must raise more money than he has of his own. At this junction it occurs to him that he has in hand in trust for his apprentice a large sum of money due to the apprentice, the son of an old friend. To complicate matters the apprentice, who is in ignorance of the money due him, when he comes of age, is in love with Gretel. The doll is completed, but alas it is beyond the toymaker to endow it with speech and motion. He succumbs to the temptation, however, o fusing Fritz, the apprentice's money as dowry for his daughter's marriage to the Baron. The Carnival is now going on and Fritz and Gretel desire to mask and participate in it. The toymaker forbids this and sends them to their rooms on the night of the Carnival procession. Fritz, however, steals out and hires a Mephistopheles costume and buys a stick of red-fire to carry in the procession. He returns for Gretel who has resolved to don the costume of the life-sized doll, which is boxed ready for the Baron. She has just made the change when her father comes in, angry at the noise and confusion of the Carnival. The old man is calmed at the sight of the life-like doll, which is really Gretel, who has stepped into the upright open box and hidden the disrobed doll figure away. In his rhapsodies over his masterpiece, the old toymaker declares aloud he would sell his soul to the devil if he could make it walk and talk. Fritz, who has peered in, dressed as Mephistopheles, overhears this and stamps his foot. With his hand behind him, Fritz lights the stick of red-fire by dropping it in the fireplace. The room lights up with a crimson glow and while the old man trembles, Fritz orders the doll to walk and talk and they depart together for the Carnival as doll and devil, telling the aghast old man that they will be back for him from the doorway. The old man falls in a chair, tormented by his fears, and, finally falls asleep. In the morning, the doll redressed and back in place and the young folks in their proper habiliments, the old man, conscience-stricken, refuses the Baron's suit and gives his consent to the marriage of Fritz and Gretel, giving his daughter a good dowry and Fritz his patrimony. The Baron is so pleased with the doll, even if it does not walk and talk, that, not getting the dowry he desires, relinquishes his suit and joins in drinking the health of the happy young couple.
- Jack Rose considers himself a failure in making a lucrative livelihood by honest means. On the advice of Paul Bryce, a promoter, he becomes a schemer and successfully exploits fake mining stock and kindred schemes. As he completes the promoting of his biggest enterprise, an independent sugar refinery, he becomes acquainted with Jessie Cleveland, the daughter of his heaviest investor. Their friendship ripens into love, and, as Rose knows that the refinery stands no chance of success as a profit maker because of the trust's strangle hold on the industry, he is in a quandary. Now, no longer a money making failure, the promoter considers himself a failure in love. He determines to confess all to Jessie and give her up. The girl, her illusions shattered, goes away, presumably for her health, saying nothing to her father as to her interview with Rose. At a meeting of the Board of Directors, a strong scene Rose is denounced by Jessie's father, who has been investigating matters privately, for inveigling him and his friends to invest in an enterprise that Rose knew to be questionable. Rose is on the point of admitting his duplicity when a wire arrives from the sugar trust, which is in need of equipment, making a splendid offer for the independent plant. This situation is taken from life. (Note the conditions of the sale of the Adolph Segal Sugar Refinery plant to the trust in Philadelphia). Rose's status instantly changes from that of a scheming fakir to that of a financial genius. The directors vote to accept the offer, apologize to Rose and congratulate him. Jessie and Rose are reconciled and the latter, warned by his narrow escape and his moral sense awakened by love, abandons his scheming and goes into legitimate business with his fiancée's father.
- In a little house at the edge of the village, Mary, the old maid, lived her life alone, looking out upon the passing world with bravely smiling eyes that gave no hint of the sorrow that might lie within her heart. Beyond her house lay the rich estate of Squire King, the wealthiest man in the community. It has long been the desire of Squire and Mrs. King, that their only son, Hal, should contract a wealthy marriage, and when the squire discovered an attachment between his son and Dora, a poor girl of the village, he promptly attempted to stop it in her hour of sorrow Dora came to Mary, to whom she told her story, and here, later, Hal came, having decided to assert his manhood and marry Dora against his father's wishes. To this Miry did not agree, but decided to sacrifice her own pride to win the squire's consent. Mary set out to find the squire, and their meeting was fraught with many memories of the past, especially as Mary recalled to his mind their own love affair of many years before, of their brief happiness and their sorrow, as the squire is forced by his father to marry a wealthy bride, while Mary remains true to the memory of the man she once loved, and lives to be an old maid. She pleaded for the happiness of Hal and Dora, but seemed to fail. Later, however, the squire, "For old time's sake," gave his consent and assisted in the marriage of his son and Dora, bringing happiness even to himself as he sat alone in his fine, lovely house, dreaming of those he had made happy.
- Mrs. Scott, a widow, has a son, Ben, and a nephew, Will. Ben enlists for the war and his mother is prostrated by the news. Will tells his aunt that he will enlist and watch over her boy. Six months elapse and Ben is taken ill while on picket duty, unknown to the authorities, Will takes his place, and the arduous duty of double watch makes him fall asleep on his post. The officer of the watch discovers this and Will is arrested, tried by court-martial and sentenced to be shot. Ben is delirious and carried to the hospital and is unaware of his cousin's danger. Will writes to his aunt explaining his position, and Mrs. Scott makes up her mind to go to Washington and appeal to President Lincoln to save him. She has great difficulty in obtaining an audience with Lincoln as his private secretary refuses to allow her to enter. Lincoln overhears the altercation, comes to the anteroom and takes Mrs. Scott into his library. There the poor woman tells the story of her nephew's devotion and begs Lincoln to save him. The boy's devotion touches Lincoln's heart and he determines to save him. With Mrs. Scott he travels to the execution ground, arriving just in time to save Will, who is facing the firing party. Lincoln pardons Will, saying that the army needs men like him.
- The Two Glasses from a poem by Ella Wheeler Wilcox is a symbolical play, showing the influences of wine and water. After a dinner the two glasses get confidential, and tell each other stories of their past. The wine glass proudly tells its humble companion how it has dethroned kings, brought men down from lofty positions, thrown people into prison who have been highly respected, dragged down virtue, and debased humanity in general. The humble water glass cannot boast of such victories, but quietly tells its companion how it has succored the wounded on battle fields, helped the parched wanderers on the desert, rehabilitated the drunkard, and uplifted many who have fallen. Overcome with remorse, acknowledging the superiority of its humble companion, the wine glass totters and falls.
- Nell Canby, a young western girl with a fondness for painting, has an inseparable companion in her horse, Bob. Engrossed in her art, Nell dreams of going to New York in order to further her studies. At this junction a young ranchman falls in love with her, and she promises to become his wife on the condition that she first completes her education in the big city. Her father objects to her going, but his old partner persuades him to let the girl go. Nell takes her horse with her to New York, and is progressing finely with her studies. The young ranchman starts on a long trip with a herd of cattle, and in the meantime Nell's father is taken ill and dies. Owing to unfortunate speculations he has lost all, and Nell in New York hears the sad news of her bereavement and unfortunate financial condition. She bravely makes up her mind to support herself by her art, and economizes by securing cheaper lodgings. She is unable to pay for her horse's keep, and the liveryman threatens to sell Bob. Nell tries to dispose of some of her paintings in order to pay her bills, but finds no market. The liveryman sells her horse to a junkman, and Bob is badly treated. The young ranchman has returned from his long trip and starts for New York in search of his sweetheart. He comes across Bob being ill-treated by the junkman and recognizes the horse. He has endeavored to trace Nell, but without avail. He buys the horse, cares for him, and Bob again becomes the horse he was in the days Nell petted him. While riding along Riverside Drive, he meets Nell in a forlorn condition. The sweethearts and their pet return to the west.
- Willard, an employee of Amos Tripp, a wagon builder of Wellington, Ohio, has been to the war, and on his return is welcomed by his old employer. Willard one day, while painting a wagon, tries his hand at a country sketch on the side of the wagon. This proves to be a success and the wagon is at once purchased. Tripp's little daughter shows him a sketch which she has made, and this sketch gives Willard the idea which caused him to paint his first famous picture, "Pluck." This picture brought him great fame, and it was suggested by many that he paint a picture to be exhibited at the Philadelphia Centennial. Willard then started to paint a comedy picture, but after the death of his father, the comedy did not appeal to him, and he painted the picture now known the world over as "The Spirit of '76."
- Cliff Cole, agent for the Klos-Shave safety razors, finds business very dull in Cemetery Gulch. He can make no sales at all, so wires his manager in Chicago to send the emergency squad to the town at once. Priscilla Long, a stenographer in the office, and Mildred Shaw, another one, are dispatched to aid Cliff. They arrive in the town. Priscilla is slightly disguised as a maiden aunt, and Mildred is supposed to be her niece. When the heavily bearded men try to show Mildred some attention, Priscilla repulses their advances with an atomizer, containing a powdered disinfectant, explaining that whiskers are lurking places for germs. Two of the more interested men decide to shave, and arouse the French barber from his lethargy of "no-business." They are cordially received by the women then, and the other men note their progress and decide to do likewise. The barber is shortly overwhelmed with business, which he is unable to take care of and Cliff persuades the men to buy his safety razors and shave themselves. Aroused by the idea of cleanliness, the men reform the town and change its name from Cemetery Gulch to Sanitary Gulch, posting the name over the railroad station. A vigilant committee ropes the men who will not shave and compels them to do so, even requiring that the hair be taken off "wooly chaps" which some of them wear. The men make great progress in their attentions to Mildred and Priscilla. The barber grows fat off his earnings and Cliff sells many razors. When they decide finally that they have milked the town, the conspirators go to the depot to depart. As they wave an ironical goodbye from the rear of the train, the men realize how they have been tricked. There is just time for the now abhorred barber to make it. They shoot at his feet and he beats it for the train, while the men throw away their safety razors and take a solemn oath never to shave again.
- After the honeymoon, the Newlyweds rent a house and start housekeeping. Mrs. Newlywed loves her husband devotedly, but at times, and on the slightest provocation becomes jealous of her hubby. Unfortunately the picture of a chum of Newlywed's sister finds its way into his effects and is found by Mrs. Newlywed in helping her spouse to unpack his things. A storm is averted, but the seed is sown. Mrs. Newlywed has a desire to own a horse and Newlywed plans to surprise her with one as a Christmas present. By an unfortunate coincidence the horse he has selected for his wife bears the same name as his sister's chum and Mrs. Newlywed finding some of the correspondence referring to the horse, jumps to the conclusion that the Bess referred to in the letter is the same as the Bess in the picture and becomes a victim of the green-eyed monster, thinking her husband is deceiving her. Circumstantial evidence accumulates and she consults a lawyer regarding a divorce, taking with her the letters she has filched and the photo of the supposed destroyer of her happiness. The lawyer she consults proves to be the husband of the Bess in the picture and the "green-eyed monster" finds another victim in the man of law and letters. He rushes from his office, determined to secure satisfaction, if not an explanation, from the villain who bad wrecked his home, leaving Mrs. Newlywed to await his return. The explanation is forthcoming, and the lawyer admits the drinks are "on him." A meeting is then arranged between Mrs. Newlywed and "Bess" and the course of true love resumes its peaceful way again.
- Louise and Grace, sisters, who early in life were orphaned, grow up together with a deep love for each other. On Louise, the elder, has devolved most of the cares of the household, and her "motherly" care of her younger sister is repaid by the love the younger sister bears for her. Both are in love with the same man, though they have concealed the knowledge from each other, and when Louise accidentally discovers Grace's love for him, with a sacrifice born of true love for her younger sister, she hides her grief, and leads Grace to believe she never cared for him. Louise accepts a position to appear in concert work, and leaves, while Grace and .John are happily married. Several years pass, and John and Grace are happy in their love of each other and of a baby girl, their only dark cloud being Grace's falling health. Louise has made a success in her chosen work, and has just received an offer for a world-wide concert tour, the goal for which she has been working when news is brought to her of Grace's death. Louise sacrifices her career to return to care for the motherless baby, which she learns to love as she would her own. In the passing years, however, her love for the baby and John growing stronger, and fearful of betraying her secret, she decides to leave, but in this she is prevented, and at the same time wins her reward, through her baby namesake, Louise.
- The Warren and Niles families have a feud. Bert Warren has killed Zeke Niles' father. Niles returns to get revenge. He follows him to the field where he is plowing and secretes himself in the bushes and shoots the old man. Warren's daughter and son Bert arrive on the spot as the old man is dying and Bert promises his father to carry on the feud until the Niles family is wiped out. Niles and his sister Beth receive a letter from their uncle up north asking them to go and make their home with him. Bert Warren visits the deserted hut of the Niles and discovers to his anger that his proposed victim has flown the country. The war breaks out. Zeke Niles enlists in the Federal army and Bert Warren joins the Confederates. A battle between the opposing armies takes place and the Confederates are beaten and are forced to make their retreat, leaving many of the wounded of the north and south on the battlefield, among them being the two feudists. Zeke Niles is severely wounded and his cries for help reach Bert Warren's ears. In the moonlight they do not recognize each other and Warren makes his way to a small stream in order to get water for the wounded soldier. He returns with a canteen and is about to give his enemy a drink when a shell bursts near them. The light from the exploding shell illuminated the faces of the two men. They recognize each other and Bert Warren is about to kill the man who shot his father. Niles begs for mercy. The shell has set fire to the undergrowth and in a few moments the flames surround them. Bert Warren tells Zeke that lie will not kill him, but will leave him to be burned alive. As he leaves the scene of the fire a vision of his sister appears telling him that two wrongs never make a right, and to let the feud end there. He quickly makes up his mind and rushing buck to the place where he left his old enemy to perish in the flames, he takes him upon his back and carries him to safety.
- Eileen is a wealthy orphan who attends a fashionable boarding school for girls, where she is a great favorite, and frequently gives them midnight lunches and parties, to the chagrin of the teachers. When the other girls go home for their vacations, Eileen has to remain at school, and during one of her lonely spells, she writes to her aunt that she is going to move to their town, buy a home and adopt one of her family, which consists of Molly, Beth, Jack, the baby and an old granny, who spends most of her time in an attic room, almost neglected by the rest of the family. Eileen shows her a great deal of attention, much to the surprise and displeasure of the others, who have no time to waste on the old lady. The day comes for Eileen to make her choice. The mother has dressed the children in their best and hopes that the baby will he the favored one, but Eileen brushes by the family and ascends to the old granny's room, and makes the dear old soul the recipient of her bounty. When the granny is comfortably installed in the beautiful mansion that Eileen has bought, the children come to ask forgiveness, and do not depart empty handed, as the generous old lady shares with them the money she has gotten from Eileen.
- The story from which this picture is taken is in verse. The old blacksmith has been induced to tell his history by a chance remark of a portrait painter who has just sold him what appears in the picture to be an enlargement of his wife's photograph. The story thus drawn from the blacksmith is to the effect that while a young man he married the supposed widow of a soldier, believed to have been killed in battle. With his wife he went to Kansas and established himself in a new home, living very happily. One day a stranger happened along and stopped to have his horse shod. Again a chance remark brought forth the story of the traveler, revealing to the blacksmith that he was the husband who was supposed to have been killed in battle years ago. It is a stunning blow to the blacksmith, but he saw that there is only one way out of the dilemma; so, taking the man into the house he presented him to the wife. There is an immediate recognition and an agonizing parting as the woman proclaims that the man was her husband and she must go with him. The heart-broken blacksmith permits her to depart, taking with her the child, for he realizes, also, that the little one belongs with its mother. So it is that he is alone in his blacksmith shop with the picture of the woman he believed to be his wife.
- Professor Germicide becomes demented through too close study. His particular hallucination is that false hair worn by women so profusely nowadays is infected with germs of the black plague from China. He is sent to an asylum, where he creates a sensation by pulling down the nurse's hair, and examining it through a microscope. Later he attempts the same thing with some patients in the courtyard. They chase him. He escapes over the wall. As he is walking down the street he bumps into an old maid. He grabs a "false front" off her head and walks away examining it. He does the same thing to several other women he meets. They all join the old maid in chasing him. By this time his hands are full of false hair, braids, switches, etc. In trying to avoid his pursuers he rushes into a hair dressing shop, interrupting the girl at work. He immediately makes a grab at the new false hair, and continues his examinations. The girl is so scared with his talk about germs in false hair she bands over to him switches, puffs, etc., she is wearing and so is left with just her own small pigtail. At this moment the girl's sweetheart enters, and seeing the girl he once admired, partly for her beautiful hair, he becomes very angry, and tells her she has deceived him. He is about to leave when the professor, who has been looking interestedly at his hair, lifts a toupee from his head, which shows him to be bald. The fellow is embarrassed, and the girl laughs at him as he rushes out, jamming down his hat on his now bald head. Finally the professor is captured by the keepers of the asylum, and the false hair thrown to the crowd of pursuers. They all make a wild scramble for their false hair. The two lovers agree to make allowance for the other's lack of hair and all ends serene.
- The Secret Service is worried by some new counterfeit money that so closely resembles the genuine that the most expert are deceived. The chief of the Secret Service calls in Hargreaves, one of his most trusted men. Marshall, a clerk in the Secret Service, acts suspiciously. Hargreaves, following a slender clue, gets on Marshall's trail. Hargreaves, by a clever ruse, makes Marshall confess the whereabouts of the gang. Kitty Ives, of the press, sees a strange incident one day between two suspicious-looking men, and scenting a story for her paper, she decides to follow and investigate the trail to the counterfeiters' den and she is caught by the men spying upon their actions. They imprison her in one of the workrooms and being warned by Marshall, they try to get rid of the evidence of their guilt. Kitty, however, manages to free herself and turns the tables upon the counterfeiters. With her help, Hargreaves gets the evidence that sends them to prison for a long term and the Secret Service man falls in love with the clever newspaper girl who had helped him locate the culprits.
- This picture play illustrates an episode in President Lincoln's life prior to his election for Congress. It is historically accurate in every particular. It is the day before his final address to the electors and his success depends upon his final speech, which he has positively promised his political managers to make. A letter arrives from a poor mother whose boy is to be tried for murder, and she begs Lincoln to appear in his defense and save her child. Despite the protestations of his political managers, he determines to chance losing the election, in order to save the child. He tramps to the little courthouse, and in an impassioned plea to the jury tells them how this woman befriended him when he was a poor boy, and how he had held the accused in his arms as a baby, and by appealing forcibly to their paternal feelings, he succeeds in having a verdict brought in of not guilty.
- Barton Grey, a young composer, is ill from overwork and worry through the failure of his efforts to meet with the approval of the publishers. His physician orders him away for rest cure, and he goes to the Blue Ridge Mountains. There his recuperation is fast and he decides to work on his "Song of the Soul." Barton takes his violin and goes to the mountain top, where in the solitude he endeavors to woo the muse. Attracted by a voice plaintively singing, he seeks its source and comes upon Pam, a wild rose of the hills. Their friendship ripens into love, and she becomes the inspiration for his work. They are married at the little mountain church and Barton takes her back with him to the city.
- At a lawn party in Washington Ned Burton of the United States Diplomatic Service becomes attracted by the wiles of Nedda Baroff, an adventuress, Oti Noji, an emissary of the Japanese government, recognizes Nedda and proposes that she obtain Burton's confidence in order to steal the cipher code book of the diplomatic service. Burton is plainly infatuated with Nedda and in a diplomatic office Nedda manages by a clever ruse to obtain possession of the cipher code book. Burton discovers his loss and he tracks Nedda to a rendezvous with Noji by a ruined mill, just as Nedda is telling the Japanese how she has fooled Burton, Ned breaks in the door and endeavors to gain possession of the book. He is attacked and in the struggle the lamp is overturned and the mill is in flames. Burton is struck down by Noji and he is left to die in the flames. By a superhuman effort he manages to escape and tracks the conspirators as they are leaving their hotel en route to Japan. Burton follows their automobile and while in transit manages to jump on the machine, opens their package, securing the coveted book, and leaves a dummy in its place. The conspirators arrive in Japan to claim their reward from the government, when, to their intense surprise, they discover that the supposed code book has been substituted by a useless one.
- Jack Mason, a representative in Congress, has achieved great political fame, and the nomination of a senatorship is offered him by a political ring. This ring, however, takes exception to Jack Mason's wife, whom they consider unfit to be the wife of so prominent a man in political and social affairs. They suggest that he divorce his wife, and in return promise that the nomination shall be his. His wife reads this letter and although she is devoted to her husband, she determines that she will not stand between him and his political and social ambitions. She makes up her mind to pass out of his life. At this moment the political committee are ushered into Jack Mason's library. They have come for an answer. Before giving this, however, Jack Mason tells the committee about his early struggling days, when he first passed his examinations to be admitted to the bar; how his wife, then a pretty country girl, sacrificed her little inheritance in order to furnish him with an office; how she toiled and slaved in order that he might be fitly clothed in order to mingle with people in the higher sphere; how her every thought had been for his future. Night and day she had sacrificed the better part of her life in order that he should be pushed forward on the path to success. Now she had grown old, plain, and he had expanded and progressed. It was a story of self-sacrifice, humiliation and abnegation on the part of a woman whose life was wrapped up in that of the man she loved. The committee recognized the man's nobility of character in standing by the woman who had made him the man that he was. They saw their error, and shamefacedly took their leave. The wife is about to leave her husband's roof, when he discovers that she is cognizant of the whole affair. Taking her in his arms he shows her their old marriage certificate, and as he enfolds her to his heart, he points to the words "Till death us do part." Indignant, she spurns him, but he points to her clothes. She horrified, plucks the hat off, and tearing it to shreds, flings the remnants in his face. Preston, learning where Amy has gone, hurries thither and bursts in the door just in time to save his wife from Bob's forced attentions. Amy, humble and contrite, begs forgiveness and Preston, after a bitter struggle, takes her in his arms, and leads her home. There the thought occurs to him that he has found a proper climax for his play. He writes what has happened; and to his delight, the manager accepts the play and pays at once in advance. Bob, hoping yet to embarrass Amy and advance. Bob, hoping yet to embarrass Amy and Preston immediately pays him and sends him unheroically about his business while the couple embrace at the happy termination of a near tragedy.
- Governor Madden resolves to personally investigate the reports of anarchistic activities in his state. He shaves his beard, which greatly alters his appearance, and donning rough clothes, goes sleuthing in the slums. He rescues Bianca, an Italian girl, from toughs, and accepts an invitation to her home, where he meets Norvelli, her uncle. He falls in love with Bianca, and forgetting his mission, spends most of his time with her. She reciprocates his love, Norvelli sounds him upon his politics and it develops that he, Norvelli, is the head of the anarchist organization in question, and of which Bianca is one of the leading spirits. They urge him to join, and hoping to win Bianca from them, he does so. At the first meeting in which he participates, it is decided that the governor must die, and Bianca, insisting upon assuming the full responsibility of membership, draws the black bean. Vainly Madden tries to persuade her to leave the work to other hands, but the girl is adamant. She will keep her oath. She breaks her engagement with him, and sends him away. If she escapes the consequences of the act he may return to her if he wishes to. He returns to the capital, and awaits developments. A week later, Bianca steals into the gubernatorial mansion on murder bent, and in a smoking-room, awaits her opportunity. The governor's spies who have had her constantly under espionage since their separation, apprise him of her presence, and he resolves to put her love to the supreme test. With his secretary, he walks to the door of the smoking room, and there instructs him in a changed voice: "If the mayor calls, show him into this room. I am going to smoke." "Yes, your excellency," replies the secretary. Bianca hears and raises her revolver to be ready. Madden enters the room. She recognizes him A tense moment, during which the nerveless hand holds the weapon to his heart, then recovering from her stupefaction, the girl realizes that she has been duped, and staggers back all but overcome. Again she raises the weapon, fury-maddened, but again her finger falters on the trigger. She cannot do it. He steps toward her with outstretched arms, but with a stricken cry, she waves him back and err he can prevent it, turns the gun upon herself and fires. The wound does not prove fatal and she recovers. Norvelli and his brethren come to her bedside, and voluntarily release her from her oath, and promising to plot no more against the government, are pardoned by the governor.
- Raphael Moore, a dramatist, has written a brilliant play. He submits it to Roth, the manager of a theater, but it meets with no success. Louise Kent, an actress of reputation, working for Roth, meets Moore, and asks him to show her his manuscript. She and her uncle, Mr. Marchand, go over the play very carefully and Louise decides to put the play on, against the wishes of her manager, Roth. It is a failure. As a work of art, it is a triumph, but it lacks the prime quality, heart interest. The boy is a genius, but does not know life. His characters are chiseled from cold marble; he has not yet been awakened to his full capacity. Louise is impressed and resolves to put the theory to the test. Raphael is made to believe that she is false to him, for they have become betrothed, and with his soul in torment, he turns again to his abandoned art for solace, and writes a truly great play.
- Porgie, chafing under his duties as an humble clerk, has taken a flyer in Wall Street on a "sure tip." On going home his wife disapproves, and he tells her to "wait until we see by the evening paper how the stock is selling." Now it so happens that their maid, a slattern, cleaning up the library and taking an accumulation of old newspapers out to the ash can in the street, drops a year-old evening newspaper at the foot of the front steps. This paper Porgie, in his excitement, finds and mistakes for the regular evening paper. From its Wall Street report he triumphantly reads to his wife that his copper stock he bought that morning at twenty-five cents a share is now selling at $250.00 a share. To his wife's horror he sends the maid out with a dollar to buy "Four Romeo cigars, such as capitalists smoke." While the maid is gone he lies back in his chair and dreams, seeing himself handing in his resignation to his astonished employer; seeing himself the owner of a yacht, an automobile, and giving champagne dinners. But his dream has a rude awakening. On returning with the cigars the maid meets the newsboy delivering the regular evening paper. She takes it to Porgie, and he reads in it, to his horror and astonishment, that his copper company has failed, and finds that the paper quoting the stock at $250 a share is a year old. No Romeo cigars for him. He compels the maid to return the cigars and explain "it was a mistake; that he wanted a five-cent package of plug." When she returns with it Porgie gloomily fills his pipe with the cheap tobacco, swears never to speculate again; and the next morning we see him working at his desk, humble and deferential before his employer.
- Willie Dunn is out of work, and broke. He is about to be evicted from his furnished room. He is in love with a beautiful girl, who in turn loves him. The girl's father, however, violently dislikes Willie. Willie sees an advertisement for a collector, answers it and secures the position. Then, his troubles begin! He goes to collect a bill from a society woman, and is unmercifully snubbed by her. When Mrs. Hooligan, who is not a society woman, won't pay, he attempts to take her pig, but Mr. Hooligan appears and does a few things to poor Willie Dunn that leaves him rather the worse for wear. His adventures with the tough saloon-keeper, the physical culture instructor and the liveryman are very funny to the observer, but not to Willie. He and his clothes are badly battered when, at the end of the day, he returns to his employer with no collections. He gets no sympathy, but is told he must see the same people next day, and if he doesn't get any money, be loses his job! Disconsolate, he wanders the streets, and with his last dime buys a copy of "Conquer by Hypnotism" from a fakir. He learns the art over night, and starts out in the morning with now courage. Hypnotism delivers the goods! He makes the debtors go through all kinds of funny antics, and finally marches the whole crowd to his employer's office, when he makes them pay up. Then he hypnotizes his employer into signing a contract engaging Willie for five years at $5,000 a year. His final and greatest victory is when he forces his sweetheart's father to consent to the marriage.
- On the swaying girders, high above the street, Tony sang at his work, his fellow workers listened in rapture to his sweet tenor, which made the work-day pass rapidly. One day a great impresario, passing along the busy street, heard the voice from above and stopped. He investigated and thus was Antonio Bolino discovered. But Tony would not give up his humble quarters, and his Italian sweetheart, much to the disapproval of the impresario, who was compelled to let him have his way, and Tony and Mercedes talked and sang of sunny Italy and looked forward to the day when they should be able to return. His first appearance was one grand ovation and the papers lauded him to the skies, but Tony was not vain over his prosperity. The once little bank account now grew rapidly, and when the year came around in which his contract with the impresario ended, he came home to Mercedes, threw off his evening dress and sent for beer, and over the little lunch they laughed and talked and tore up the expired contract. Next day a big ocean liner received on board two Italian passengers. The impresario, with a new contract, and visions of fame and wealth, went to the Italian tenement, and in the window saw a sign "To let." He inquired and learned that his find with the sweetheart had returned to Italy.