- The Gertz family lives in a tenement room; below them live the Coulahans, a crude family. Tom Coulahan loves Cora Gertz, but she doesn't like his family. She finally agrees to marry him and moves in with his whole family. When Tom's father dies, Tom becomes a drunkard, and when his mother dies, all the household duties fall upon Cora. Hans, a friend from Germany, comes to look after Cora. Tom tries to rob him. Cora takes medicine to commit suicide. Tom bullies her to help him rob Hans, but Tom fills the glass with Cora's suicide potion and drinks it down. Cora and Hans are happily reunited.—Anonymous
- This story deals with two tenement families named Gertz and Coulahan. Mr. and Mrs. Gertz are happy together though poor and live with their daughter Cora in the tenement room below that occupied by the Coulahans and their son Tom. The life of the Coulahans is a direct contrast to that of the Gertzes; fighting, quarreling, and drunkenness mar the happiness of Tom's parents. Tom loves Cora Gertz and asks her to marry him and live with his parents. She tells him she could never stand the continual quarreling and refuses to listen to his pleading. That night she dreams of herself as married to and living happily with Tom and their children, while Tom in the room above decides to leave the parental roof and ask Cora to come and live with him in their own little home. The next morning, Tom tells Cora of his decision and she promises to marry him, although her parents warn her that Tom's father is a drunkard and that Tom is likely to follow in his father's footsteps. Tom's parents are very much upset at the idea of his leaving them. His mother weeps in protest while his father threatens him and is about to throw him out when Cora suddenly appears in the doorway of the Coulahan home and announces that she has decided to accede to Tom's first wish and come and live with his parents. After the marriage Cora's parents return to their former home in Germany. Tom's father dies shortly after. Mrs. Coulahan continues to take in washing, assisted by Cora. Tom follows in his father's footsteps and spends the bulk of his time in saloons. Cora's parents have a German friend named Hans who is coming to America and they charge him to look up their daughter and find out her true condition, at which her letters only hint. Mrs. Coulahan is taken ill and the doctor leaves a medicine, a dose of which is one drop, with the injunction that one drop cures while three will kill. Cora is about to give her mother-in-law the required amount when the latter dies. She slips the medicine vial into her apron pocket and runs to the saloon to summon her drunken husband. After the death of Mrs. Coulahan the entire burden falls upon the shoulders of Cora, who loses her position in the sweatshop and is forced to spend her time over the tub. Hans locates Tom and Cora, explains his mission and intimates that he would like to know of some good thing to invest his savings in, showing a large roll of banknotes. Tom plans to rob Hans of his money. Hans shakes hands and goes, but Cora has seen the look in the eyes of her husband and fears the worst. Cora, as she is washing, comes upon the medicine bottle in her apron pocket and puts its contents in a glass, intending to end her trouble by suicide. Her husband enters and lays before her the plan he has perfected, which is that she shall exert her charms upon Hans and rob him of his money. Cora refuses, but, being abused by Tom, finally sets out after Hans, but she can do nothing but warn him falteringly and tell him of Tom's threats against her. Back in the tenement Tom's liquor parched throat calls for water and he tosses out the filled glass upon the table and fills another which he drinks. Cora at last breaks away from Hans and returns to the tenement, where she finds her husband's body lying against the door, preventing her from opening it. Later she and Hans are happily married.—Moving Picture World synopsis
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