- Maris, having married Lynch, a worthless man who deserts her, taking their daughter Felice with him, marries mill owner Dwight Alden after receiving notification that her husband and child are dead. Discovering that Alden employs child labor, Maris, assisted by the village minister, tries to persuade him that this is wrong, but he will tolerate no interference in his business. After violently denouncing Alden from the pulpit, the minister dies and Maris becomes interested in a child who has been injured while working overtime at the mill, only to discover that the child is her daughter and her first husband is still alive. She leaves, taking Felice, and Alden, after having a fight with the first husband, discovers that Lynch had secured a divorce. Alden seeks out Maris, tells her that he has abolished child labor and made other improvements affecting the welfare of his workers, and a reconciliation occurs.
- Maris has married against her father's wishes. Lynch, her husband, turns out to be a drunkard. In her life the only bright spot is their little child, Felice. Maris is forced to be the bread winner of the family. She secures a position as stenographer in the office of Dwight Alden, the wealthy mill owner. Word comes to Maris of the death of her husband and child in a railroad accident. When Alden learns there is no longer an obstacle to their marriage, he asks Maris to be his wife. A few years later Lynch returns under the name of Winch with a woman named Kate. Both depend upon the efforts of little Felice, who goes to work in the mill. Maris, driving by in her machine with the minister, sees the little child hastening weakly to her work. When her husband arrives he tells her it is no affair of hers, and hurries her away to be ready for a reception that evening. At the mill that night a belt around the spools, which has not been arranged in accordance with the law, breaks and Felice is injured. McGhee, the superintendent, phones Alden at his home, and Maris overhears her husband giving his cold directions. Later in the night Maris steals away to see what she can do for the sufferer. As she nears the cottage, Winch staggers out, telling Kate that he is going to get damages for the injury to his bread-winner. When Maris comes to the cottage, she smooths the little child. Kate watches Mrs. Alden's affection for Felice, and goes out to find Winch to tell him that she thinks they can extort money from the mill owner's wife. Winch gets into a fight with McGhee at the saloon, and McGhee gets the best of it. Winch hastens home with Kate, and the husband and wife face each other. Maris is aghast at the knowledge that he is alive, and that the injured child is her own baby. Maris attempts to take her child away, but Winch stops her. Winch forces the sick child to get up and dress and the three leave. Kate and Winch fall asleep by the roadside, and Felice creeps away in search of the kind lady. The next morning after her husband has left the house, Maris determines to make one final effort to obtain possession of her child. She goes to the Winch cottage. At the church, the minister makes an impassioned plea to his rich congregation on behalf of the children of the mills, and ends with a scathing denunciation of Alden. At the close of the sermon he falls dead. Felice staggers to the gate of the Alden home, where Maris finds her. Maris decides to take Felice and leave Alden's home, and writes a note in which she tells her husband that Felice is her own child and that Winch is her husband. Alden, a changed and softened man, hurries home to find Maris, and is just recovering from the shock of her farewell letter when Winch and Kate, who have gone in search of Felice, reach the house. Winch admits that the report of his death was simply a scheme for future blackmail, as he was sure Maris would marry again and demands a bribe to keep him from publishing the facts. Alden is about to throttle him when Kate produces the divorce papers which she forced Winch to procure. Maris takes a little cottage where she lives happily with Felice, but her heart longs for Dwight Alden, whom she has always loved. He finds her and tells her of the changes he has brought about for her sake, of the model school houses, the cottages and improvements. Overjoyed, Maris returns with him to his mansion, where they live, secure in their love for each other, and happy in their mutual affection for Felice.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content