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- Dr. Henry Jekyll experiments with scientific means of revealing the hidden, dark side of man and releases a murderer from within himself.
- The source of "The Vagabonds" is a different kind of classic: a poem by an influential, prolific writer of inspirational and cautionary stories for children, particularly boys. "The Vagabonds" is a series of flashbacks where a penniless, friendless tramp relates the story of his downfall due to drink. The author J.T. Trowbridge had also been a well-known pre-Civil War abolitionist. His poem "The Vagabonds" was first published in 1863. This relatively fine print shows the rapid improvements in camera lenses in the mid-1910s, and independent studios like Thanhouser finally had access to the best cameras and equipment with the breaking of the Patents Trust in 1915. The variety of camera setups and fluidity of editing is quite modern compared to just a year or two earlier. Thanhouser Film Corporation was almost in disarray following the 1914 death of its brilliant manager Charles J. Hite and the subsequent departure of many employees. In addition, big studio competitors were realizing big profits from lengthier films and celebrity-star promotion that Mutual's Thanhouser was not keeping pace with. The turnaround began when Edwin Thanhouser returned as general manager in early 1915 and the company was soon reorganized. He also was made an executive and a director of Mutual.
- Left a penniless orphan at 14, Jane Eyre is adopted by her uncle, who has ample means to provide for her and also loves her dearly. Her uncle's family considers her an intruder and do all in their power to prevent her from becoming a full member of their family, but during his lifetime she receives some degree of kindness and consideration. Unfortunately, he dies and leaves her without a friend in the world and his unfeeling widow sends her to a badly-run orphan asylum. Five years later she leaves the asylum to accept the position of governess to Lord Rochester's little niece, daughter of his late brother. Her mother has become insane and is living in Lord Rochester's home under his protection. Jane is engaged by Lord Rochester's housekeeper during his absence from home, and her first meeting with her employer is both exciting and romantic. She is sitting by the edge of the road reading when Lord Rochester rides up to his ancestral home. The sight of his huge dog, coming upon her suddenly, so startles Jane that she jumps to her feet, causing Lord Rochester's horse to shy and throw it rider. He injures his ankle, and has to be assisted to remount "the little witch," as he calls her, who is the cause of his accident. That same evening in his home, he is surprised to find that "the little witch" of his adventure is living in his house as his niece's governess. Jane's rich relations, the Reeds, visit Lord Rochester, and persistently insult and humiliate her by treating her like a servant. Lord Rochester, however, is not blind to her sweetness, nor to the cruelty of her cousin, who is trying to win Lord Rochester's hand and fortune. One evening the maniac escapes from her nurse and sets fire to the room in which Lord Rochester has fallen asleep. He is saved from a horrible death by Jane. When next Jane's haughty aunt and cousins call on Lord Rochester, they are just in time to be introduced to his bride, who is none other than the despised Jane Eyre.
- A kindly shop owner whose overwhelming gambling debts allow a greedy landlord to seize his shop of dusty treasures. Evicted and with no way to pay his debts, he and his granddaughter flee.
- A gentle orphan discovers life and love in an indifferent adult world.
- A young artist is a great lover of the beautiful, and has a natural horror of anything repulsive. He fails in love with a girl who satisfies his artistic requirements. The Girl's father, a worldly wise inventor, does not approve of his daughter's choice. He realizes that the young artist has many limitations, and doubts if he will make his daughter happy. The girl, when told of his fears, at first laughs them to scorn. Then she begins to doubt herself. Finally, a chance comes to test the father's theory. There is an explosion in the laboratory, and the girl, in trying to save her father, is badly injured. The artist hurries around to the house, and finds that the girl he loves is disfigured for life. She offers him his freedom and returns him his ring. The young man is not of the stuff of which heroes are made. His love cannot survive the loss of the girl's beauty. He takes the ring and hurries away. And the fears of the father are proven. As time rolls on the artist finds that he cannot forget the girl he once hoped to wed. Gradually he forgets her beauty, and thinks more and more of her character and mental attributes. Humbly he returns to the house, and again pleads his suit. At first the girl repels him, finally she consents to take him back. She is heavily veiled when they meet, but she does not raise the veil, neither does be ask her to. Her physical appearance is of no importance he tells her, and so far as he is concerned, this is the truth. For he is no longer the artist, he is the sincere lover. Still wearing her veil, but her beauty regained, the girl accompanies him to the altar. When they return to his studio, the veil is lifted, and with a radiant smile she goes to his arms.
- Basil Hallward, a celebrated artist, had completed a portrait which he privately declared was his masterpiece. It was a picture of Dorian Gray, a wealthy and handsome young man, who was a great favorite in London society. Basil and Dorian were looking at the painting in the artist's studio when Lord Henry Wotton, a mutual friend, came in. He complimented Dorian upon the picture, and remarked that in years to come it would be something to look back upon, for it would remind him of what he had been in the days of his youth. Dorian was deeply in love with an obscure actress who played Shakespearian roles in a minor theater. For a time he wooed her from afar, finally scraped up courage and secured an introduction, and speedily won the love of the simple-hearted girl. One evening he told her of his love, and she gladly consented to marry. The next evening Dorian was again in the theater, this time accompanied by Basil and Lord Henry. Dorian had told them of the actress they came prepared to admire, but remained to laugh, for her work was woefully mediocre, in fact so bad that the audience hissed her from the stage. Angered, Dorian abruptly left his friends and went back upon the stage. He reproached his charmer, and she told him she never again would act well, for his love had taught her "the hollowness, the sham, the silliness of the empty pageant" in which she had always played. She looked to him for consolation; he threw her from him with reproaches and angrily told her she killed his love, and that he would never see her again. Then he left, and heard in the morning that she killed herself. It only stirred him vaguely. A little later he idly looked at his picture, it was not the same picture; there was a touch of cruelty about the lips. The picture he secretly hid in the attic of his home. As the years rolled on he became more evil, but those who heard the stories about him could not believe them, for he always had the look of one who kept himself unspotted from the world. But there were moments of anguish of which no one knew, the times when he slinked up to his attic, drew aside the draperies that concealed a portrait, and saw for himself how his wickedness was indelibly stamped upon his picture. He would examine it with minute interest, and sometimes he would laugh when he realized that to the world he was still young and pure in appearance. One day he determined to get rid of this hateful reminder of his vices. He smiled as he picked up a knife, and smiled again as he sunk the knife into the breast of the horrible painting. There was a terrible cry, and when the servants broke in the door, they found hanging upon the wall a splendid portrait of their master, as they had last seen him, in all the wonder of his exquisite youth and beauty. Lying on the floor was a dead man in evening dress, with a knife in his heart. He was withered, wrinkled and loathsome of visage. It was not until they examined the rings that they realized who it was.
- Unable to find help to work his farm, a farmer gets a bright idea--he advertises that any man willing to work on his farm will be permitted to court his two daughters. The girls and their mother don't take kindly to being offered as an "incentive", so when some college boys show up looking to take advantage of both offers, the girls come up with a plan of their own.
- During his daily duties, Casey the Cop rescues a woman who's soon his sweetheart. Later, she learns from her banker uncle that her inheritance has been stolen, and he's accusing Casey's own cashier brother. Casey is on the case.
- A young woman forced into servitude by her family gets more than she bargained for when her fairy godmother magically permits her to go to the royal ball.
- Sis is a country girl, but being left a large sum of money, she goes to the city to visit her cousin Alice. At first she is gawky and awkward, but after a few months, Alice and Clarke make a beautiful and talented girl of her. She meets a young man named Boyd, an intimate friend of Clarke's, and the two immediately fall in love. In the meantime Sis's aunt and uncle in the country become homesick to see her and decide upon a visit to the city. When they see her beautiful home and her still more beautiful clothes, they realize the gulf that has grown between them and return home heart-broken at not seeing the little girl, who had left them. Sis learns of their disappointment through a letter they send her, reading between the lines the reasons of the old couple's chagrin. She plans a surprise. Dressing up in her old gingham dress, which she had worn when she came to the city with Boyd, Alice and Clarke, she goes to the country to see the old folks. Her aunt and uncle are delighted to see Sis once more as she was before she went away, and their happiness is complete when Sis tells them, "I will be Sis to you always."
- Dr. Primrose, the vicar of Wakefield, enjoys life with his wife and five children. His two daughters, Olivia and Sophia, are courted by two apparent gentlemen, Mr. Burchell and Squire Thornhill, who is Dr. Primrose's landlord. But when Mr. Burchell is supposed to have seduced and abandoned Olivia, the Primrose family finds its fortunes dwindling in every sense. It is learned that Burchell is innocent of the seduction, and the real villain is unmasked, but not before Primrose and his family come very near disaster.
- When Barbara Norton is left orphaned, she goes to live with her aunt and uncle. Time passes, now grown to adulthood, Barbara, becomes engaged to a wealthy young man who believes in pacifism. When the United States declares war on Germany, Barbara's fiance declines to enlist, and so Barbara gives him back his engagement ring and goes to France as a Red Cross nurse. En route, her steamer is torpedoed and Barbara is assumed to be drowned. Even this tragedy does not inspire the young man's patriotism and when solicited to enlist, he declares that the United States be damned. These sentiments shock an old friend of his father's, who brings the young man a copy of the book The Man Without a Country . Upon reading the book, the young man visualizes the story of Philip Nolan and is compelled to serve his country. As he is about to go to war, Barbara returns, and the two lovers embrace.
- An ill-fated pair of teenage lovers are destroyed by the feud between their families.
- At the request of her dying father, heiress Laura Fairlie marries Sir Percival Glyde, despite her love for Walter Hartridge and the warnings of Ann Catherick, a half-witted girl who bears a striking resemblance to Laura. After the marriage, Glyde schemes to appropriate his wife's money. When he learns that Ann has escaped from an asylum and has perished, Glyde takes Laura to the asylum and commits her, claiming that she is Ann. He then informs everyone that his wife had died, and buries the body of the insane woman in her place. Walter and Laura's half sister, Marian Halcombe, become suspicious, however, and remembering Ann's previous warnings, discover what Glyde has done. After Glyde meets his death in a fire, Walter rescues Laura and the two lovers are reunited.
- A wealthy ship owner cared for but two things in life, his gold and his daughter. But his selfish love of the girl led him to frown upon her suitors, while his greed for gold induced him to follow a niggardly policy so far as his ships were concerned. He insured them, it is true, but he begrudged the money he spent for repairs. He looked at it from the viewpoint that sailors were cheap, and could more easily be replaced than the money of which he was so fond. Therefore, when one of his captains insisted upon repairs being made, he was gruffly rebuffed. The owner told him that he could sail the ship as it was or hunt another job, and the captain decided to stick to the ship, hoping that things were not as bad as he had imagined them to be. For the captain was married, although the fact had been kept a secret. His bride was none other than the daughter of his employer, the miser ship owner, and they were waiting for a favorable chance to break the news to him. The girl wanted to sail with her husband. He refused, but did not tell her the real reason, as he knew it would frighten her, and cause the time on shore to be days and nights of dread. But the girl refused to accept his commands, and secretly stowed herself away on the ship, revealing herself when the ship was out at sea. The captain was glad to see her, but his joy was mingled with forebodings. He knew that he had an undermanned, leaky ship, and that the chances were only even that the he would reach port. When the father found a letter from the girl, telling him what she had done he broke down completely. He had never worried about his "coffin ship" before, but never before had the only person he loved been aboard one of them. The blow that he had expected came, for the ship was reported lost with all on board. And the old man realized that his niggardliness had lost him something that he would have given all his wealth, miser though he was, to retain. He neglected his business, he grew to hate his once beloved gold, and at last, half demented, decided to end his life. The vision of the daughter, for whose death he was responsible, was constantly with him, and he decided to die as she did, in the water. He went to the dock from which her ship had sailed, and gazed down in the cool depths. There was oblivion. On land was only sorrow and remorse. He was about to leap overboard when he heard excited cries. Looking up he saw some people landing from a ship nearby. One of them was his daughter, or else it was a vision. But he decided to approach anyway. It was no vision, but a living, loving daughter, who flung herself into his arms, and rained kisses upon him. Her husband was with her. They had been rescued after a harrowing experience in an open boat at sea. They did not have a chance to ask the father's forgiveness. He humbled himself to them and diffidently asked them to accept his love. He realized that the tragedy was due to him and him alone, but determined that the lesson he had been taught would never be forgotten, and that he would do his duty to the men who risked their lives to bring him wealth and never count the cost when human lives were at stake.
- The Princess Priscilla of Rurilia was a refined and dainty young woman, and had never worried about love or sweethearts. It came as a shock to her when her uncle, who presided over the small country, announced that she was to marry Prince Wilhelm of Ogram, one of their neighbors. Perhaps the princess might have acquiesced had it not been that she took a great dislike to Prince Wilhelm, a man of bad habits and n terrible reputation. Anyway, the princess told her uncle she would never marry the prince, and the king retorted in a way purely regal; he ordered his niece to remain a close prisoner in her rooms until she was prepared to obey his commands. It never struck the king that the princess would run away, but that was precisely what she did. So, aided by her faithful nurse, they arrived in America in course of time, and as they had money and jewels, the problem of high cost of living did not bother them at first. At last their money did run out, and the old nurse, becoming sick, had to be removed to a hospital. The doctor who attended her was a kindly old man, and he secured the princess a job as maid in the home of a wealthy family, never suspecting that she was of royal blood. The real man arrived in the shape of the wealthy brother of the mistress. He fell violently in lore with the maid and proposed to marry her, but at first she coyly refused him. Womanlike, she wanted to appear her best on such an occasion, and her chance came. The minister from Ruralia called upon the mistress of the princess, and to his surprise met one of his royal house in servant's garb. The princess induced him to keep her secret, and also to get an invitation for her to the ball, which was to be given at the house. There the princess appeared in all her splendor. The diplomat accompanying her expected that she would announce her intention of returning to her home; to his surprise, however, she took this occasion to accept her lover, remarking that she preferred an honest man's love to a throne.
- John Winslow and Henry Jameson, who have been old business rivals, decide to bury the hatchet and seal a lasting peace with the marriage of Jameson's son, Boyd, to Winslow's daughter, Kate. When Boyd meets Kate, however, he decides that while she is a charming girl, he does not care to marry her. His father disowns him and, accompanied by his valet, the young man tours the country. In a remote village he falls in love with a delightful girl who is visiting her aunt. They are in the act of eloping, when they meet Jameson and Winslow. Then Boyd learns that his sweetheart is Kate's sister.
- (Part One) The first scene shows us the outer court of the temple in Egypt, in the year 350 B.C. Here Amenartas, the Pharaoh's daughter, waits to meet her love, Kallikrates. He has just taken the vows, becoming a Priest of Isis. She urges him to renounce these vows and flee with her from Egypt. We next see them during the sacrificial ceremony in the temple. The young priest goes about his sacred office constantly feeling the eyes of the woman he loves upon him. At the close of the ceremony he can resist her appeal no longer and they make their escape. They leave the city behind them, and on the desert meet some friendly Arabs. The young priest is weak from fasting, and his wife secures for him the camel owned by an Arab chief, so that they may continue their journey. They thank their Arab friends, leave them, and on foot make their way to the water's edge. After traveling "twice twelve moons" they land with their infant son on the coast of Africa, near a rocky precipice, known as the Negro's Head. In her cave in the hollow mountain, "SHE," the white witch of Africa, who has learned the secret of eternal youth, sees the approach of the Egyptian, by her magic power. "SHE" determines that he is the perfect man, that "SHE" will have him bathe with her in the fires of eternal youth, and together they will rule the world. "SHE" summons him. In his camp in the desert the messengers of "SHE" find Kallikrates, his wife and child, and bring them before "SHE." "SHE" shows the Egyptian the fires of eternal youth and offers him her love, but when he remains true to the love of his wife, "SHE" strikes him dead. His wife, Amenartas escapes with her child. At the riverbank, the wife embarks with her child, whom she calls Tisisthanes. She swears that this child shall return and avenge his father's death, or if not he, his male descendants. Over the smoldering fires of eternal strife "SHE" tries in vain to restore the vital spark to the body of the man she loved. Unable to give her loved one life, "SHE" has his body mummified by a marvelous process, which makes him look as though he did but sleep. Beside her dead love, "SHE" weeps and prays, that though "SHE" cannot restore him to life, some day, though it be in the remote centuries to come, her love will be reincarnated, and return to claim her. (Part Two) We now see a room in England, in the year 1885 A.D. Holly, an Englishman, whose face is so ugly that it has won him the appellation of "the monster," receives, by the will of his friend, the fortunes and custody of that friend's son, Leo Vincent. This child is the direct descendant of the Priest of Isis, whom "SHE" destroyed centuries before. With the child, is sent a letter of instructions and an antique chest. The letter explains that Leo is to open the chest on his twenty-fifth birthday and follow the instructions it contains. Through the ages '"SHE" waits beside the body of her dead love, still praying for his reincarnation and return. On his twenty-fifth birthday, Leo opens the chest and finds in it the story of his ancient ancestor and the information that although many men of his family had spent their lives in seeking "SHE." None of them had ever found her. Leo also finds instructions to carry out the work, to seek "SHE," learn her secret of eternal youth, and then destroy her. Leo determines to set out on the mission. Leo and his guardian, Holly, approach the shores of Africa, and note the strange rock, the Negro's Head. "SHE," in her cave, sees in a vision, Leo approaching. He strongly resembles his ancient ancestor, and "SHE" firmly believes he is the reincarnation of her ancient lover. "SHE" sends for him. Through rocky caverns Leo's boat glides up the river toward the hollow mountain. At an ancient landing place, now fallen into ruins, Leo's boat is stopped by a tribe of natives, who pay allegiance to "SHE." They blindfold Leo and Holly and lead them to the cave of "SHE." "SHE" welcomes Leo as her lost love. He tells her he has come to destroy her, to revenge the death of his ancestor. "SHE" gives him the knife from her own girdle and. baring her bosom, bids him strike. Before her unveiled beauty, Leo is powerless to destroy her. "SHE" then bids him follow her and leads them through a strange passage. In a rocky cavern "SHE" shows Leo the mummy of his ancient ancestor, and so like is it to the young Englishman, that he feels he is gazing upon himself. "SHE" then destroys the mummy as she feels she has found her living love. "SHE" leads Holly and Leo over a rocky precipice to the cave containing the "fires of eternal youth." "SHE" begs Leo to step into the flame so that he, too, will never die. Leo fears to take the step. To encourage him "SHE" steps first into the flames. The quality of the fire has changed in the centuries since "SHE" last bathed in them. "SHE" suddenly shrivels up before the eyes of the astonished men. "SHE" grows suddenly old, until she resembles an ape. With outstretched arms, and a cry to Leo not to forget her, "SHE" dies. Holly and Leo, half crazed with the terrible sight they have witnessed, find their way back to the native village. They are directed, by an overland route, as to how they can leave the country and they do so. Safely returned to England, Leo, whose golden hair has been turned white from his horrible experience, destroys all records of "SHE," the mysterious. His family has been avenged.
- This is the story of a gardener whose whole lifetime had been spent in the one place. He loved the flowers, petted them, and gave them the detail of the only romance he had ever witnessed. "You see, little pansy," he said, "when I came here, many years ago, Miss May was a little girl. There was a nice little boy who lived right over there, and they were greet chums. They played together, day after day, and were childhood sweethearts. Well, they grew up, and one afternoon I saw them talking earnestly over on the old bench there. She nodded her head, when he kissed her, and taking a ring, put it on her finger. For a time they were happy, then they quarreled. It was a silly dispute, and in my opinion, both were to blame. I hoped they would make up but they didn't. He went to the city, she remained here. Other suitors came, but she would not have them. Her heart was with the man she had loved when they were children. You know, little pansy, how Miss May has thrown her garden open to the poor children. Well, to-day I was standing out under the big sign that says all children are welcome, when an auto came up. 1 looked at the man in it, and recognized the chap Miss May loved. I called a greeting to him; he stopped and we shook hands. It had been many years since the boy had played about here, and I had to be careful. If he had known Miss May was here, I doubt if he would have come in. So I talked about the children, and he stepped in to see them. Then, before he realized it, I had led him to the old bench. It must have called back recollections, for it was there that as a boy he had wooed his tiny sweetheart. It was there that as a man he had won her promise to be his bride. Better than all, she was sitting there now, all alone and forlorn. I just led him up to the bench, and left him. I knew that my work was successful when I saw the glad light in their eyes. It was only stubbornness that had kept them apart all these years. The job was to bring them together and I did it."
- Three wise men from the East follow a star to Bethlehem in search of the infant Jesus.
- Oklahoma lawyer Al Jennings, whose father was a famous and respected judge, is enraged at the murder of his brother Ed, shot in the back by two killers. As if that wasn't enough, he finds himself falsely accused of robbery, and while escaping those phony charges he is chased and shot by a posse. Although wounded, he manages to elude the posse but takes his revenge by robbing a country store. It's not long before he has his own outlaw gang, with headquarters at the Spike S Ranch. A local sheriff is determined to capture him, so Al and his brother Frank make plans for one last, big robbery before leaving Oklahoma forever.
- An indictment of the evils of child labor, the film was controversial in its time for its use of actual footage of children employed in a working mill.
- To her aunt's dismay, Prudence isn't interested in society life. She'd rather listen to the butler's tall tales of being a pirate. Nixed from a boat trip, she rents a schooner, recruits a crew and raises the jolly roger.
- The series tells the story of Amy Dorrit, who spends her days earning money for the family and looking after her proud father, who is a long term inmate of Marshalsea debtors' prison in London. Amy and her family's world is transformed when her boss's son, Arthur Clennam, returns from overseas to solve his family's mysterious legacy and discovers that their lives are interlinked.
- A romantic tale from Shakespeare's late career, concerning the trials of the virtuous Princess Imogen.
- Lorna Dugal, the little daughter of an English nobleman, is carried off by her father's enemies, the Doones, when she is five years old. Sire Ensor Doone had been banished from court, and he and his family had established themselves in a well-protected valley, becoming outlaws and highwaymen. To this den of robbers little Lorna is carried, partly for revenge, and partly in the hope that when she grew to womanhood, she could be forced into marriage with one of the Doones, who would thus secure her fortune. John Ridd, then a little boy, returning from school saw the helpless child being carried off by the Doones, and at once became interested in her. Lorna is told she is a Doone and believes it. While on a fishing trip, young John, soon after, accidentally finds a hitherto unknown entrance into Doone valley. Here he meets little Lorna, and the children become fast friends. They arrange to meet often, unknown to the Doones, and through many years their friendship continues. Finally, when Lorna has reached the age of sixteen, John wins her consent to become his wife. In a heroic fight he rescues his love from the hands of the outlaws and brings her to his mother's home. Here as their wedding is being celebrated they are attacked by the leader of the Doones, who fires at them through the window of their home, and wounds Lorna. The enraged bridegroom rushes from the altar in pursuit of the coward. They engage in mortal combat on the heath at the edge of a quagmire. Here providence intervenes. The Doone leader in the struggle steps from solid ground, and is swallowed up in the quicksand, leaving John to return to the arms of his bride, now sage from further persecution.
- The president of a state bank finds that the District Attorney has evidence that will send him to jail. The banker calls on the official of the law, and succeeds in bribing him to suppress the case. Not only is the District Attorney a grafter, but his secretary is of much the same caliber. During the conference between the District Attorney and the banker, the dishonest secretary is hidden in an adjoining room, and unseen by the others, he takes a photograph over the transom just at the interesting moment when a considerable sum of money changes hands. The secretary develops the picture and finds that it is excellent. He proceeds to blackmail his employer, and finds it possible to live extravagantly without work. He laughs at the District Attorney, and retains the evidence of the official's crimes. Among the friends of the secretary is a young couple, and the secretary, becoming idle and dissipated, proceeds to make love to the wife. He hides his passion until one evening when he finds the wife alone. He then tries to embrace her. The husband comes back at this moment, and makes a rush for the would-be despoiler of his home. A lamp, the only light in the room, is upset, and the place is dark. Then there is a flash and a shot, and the young blackmailer falls to the floor, dead. The police are promptly on the scene, having heard the shot, and find the couple in the room with the body of their one-time friend. The wife thinks the husband fired in anger, the husband believes the wife shot to protect herself. The woman faints, the man "confesses," and is led off to prison. Neither they nor the police suspect the District Attorney, but he is the guilty man. Driven half mad by the constantly increasing demands of the blackmailer, he had followed him through the streets, determined to end his life of torment. At the house he saw his chance and took it. The District Attorney is called upon to prosecute a man he knows to be innocent. Then the situation is further complicated by the wife, who, to save her husband, confesses that she is the guilty person. The District Attorney, in his summing up, accuses them both. His speech is well under way when an unexpected witness appears at the last moment. The slain man occupied a furnished room, and the place was being put in order for a new tenant. The maid, in the course of her work, discovered a packet, cunningly hidden, containing proofs of the District Attorney's guilt and the strong inference that he was the only person who was interested in putting the secretary out of the way. Suddenly confronted with this evidence, the prosecutor broke down and confessed. Husband and wife, each of whom had tried to take the consequences of a crime to save the other, find that both are guiltless, and are set free.
- A little frog who splashes into a tiny puddle sometimes thinks he has created a commotion in the Atlantic Ocean. A young clerk in a small town was like the little frog, and local triumphs on an amateur baseball team convinced him that he was really a wonderful player, and far superior to the men in the big leagues. Glory came to him, that is to say, his name was a household word in the small village where he lived, but he got no money for it. More than that, he neglected his regular work in a store, and was in danger of being discharged. For he thought baseball, drank baseball and dreamed baseball. He was a nuisance to his friends and a trial to his family, and his wife worried greatly as to what the future would bring. The wife had a distant cousin, Big Chief Bender, the noted twirler of the world champions, the Philadelphia Athletics, and she decided to confide her troubles to him. She figured that a man who could pitch three out of the six past seasons' games against the Giants, win two of them and list the third by a fluke, must be resourceful enough to help her. She judged correctly, and her appeal was not in vain. To the conceited counter jumper came a letter purporting to be signed by Connie Mack, explaining that his fame had reached Philadelphia and that Bender, Coombs (the pitcher who beat Mathewson), Morgan, the wonderful spit ball expert, and "Rube" Oldring (the heavy-hitting outfielder who broke up a World's Series game with a home run) were coming to the country to learn from the village champion how to play baseball. By this time the little frog had swollen to such a size that he really believed that the plea for help was genuine. .So he gladly welcomed the seasoned champions of the world and they studied baseball together. There was only one lesson. Then the little frog went sadly home. He burned up his uniform, his bat and the baseballs he had. He returned to his regular work behind the counter and the wife finds that he is cured of his infatuation.
- Jack Darcy finds that it is hard to make a living in a great city, no matter what certain rich men may say, and is naturally overjoyed to receive word that he has inherited $50,000, left by a great uncle, who has severely neglected him in life. There is only one unpleasant string attached to the gift. To win it, Jack must, within one year, wed the daughter of the uncle's friend, a woman he has never met. But that condition does not seem so terrible until Jack has met the lady fair. She has a kind face, but she looks like twins. Jack makes a great hit with her; she causes Jack an awful shock. He would have given up the task at once had it not been for the lawyer, who tells him he has a year to think it over, and not to be hasty. Also, one never can tell what a woman will look like in a year, and this lady fair may look better, as it is certain that any change will be an improvement. So Jack while not committing himself, decides to suspend judgment. The daughter of the uncle's friend does the best she knows how to train down. She wants to be a slim athlete, and goes through torturing training, without result. The lawyer, with an amiable desire to get Jack accustomed to the woman, invites both to a house party at his seaside home, and there Jack decides to stop being an heir. He sees a young girl who has all the grace that he admires in a woman. She is an excellent swimmer, too, and when in a race she easily defeats Jack and several other men, he realizes that even $50,000 is not much money under certain circumstances. And this belief is intensified when he sees the fat girl in a bathing suit, and nearly dies of exhaustion on trying to rescue her in deep water. He goes to the lawyer, and firmly informs him that he does not want the money, it can go to charity or any other old thing. The lawyer questions him, and finds that his mind is made up. Then he produces a codicil to the uncle's will, to be in force only if the young man refuses to marry the girl. In that case, the uncle says, he admires the boy's manly spirit, applauds him for his refusal to accept dictation, and doubles the legacy. All of which shows that sometimes it pays not to be mercenary, and that virtue is occasionally well paid. But as nobody loves a fat woman, the outcome of the matter did not exactly please the daughter of the friend of Jack's great uncle.
- Prof. Gregg arrived in New York on a liner at a time when news was very light, which explains why the reporters gave big displays to the fact that Gregg was returning with rare antique jewels which he had unearthed abroad. He also had a vast collection of other antiques, and the value of his belongings was set at an enormous figure. The accounts were read with great interest by a number of persons, including a gentleman whose fingerprints and photograph were highly treasured by the police of many cities. It struck him that the professor was far too wealthy, and he determined to see if they could not do business together. So he evolved a neat little plan whereby he hoped to meet the professor and the jewels. The professor received word that a mummy was to be sent to him for inspection, in the hope that he would buy it. It arrived on schedule time, but he did not have much time to inspect it. For the mummy, who was the before-mentioned light-fingered individual, climbed out of his case, swatted the professor, and assisted by the expressman, bound and gagged him, then interred him in the case, and sent him away. The professor spent a few unhappy hours a prisoner in a dirty room, then he managed to free himself, and started back toward his hotel. On the way he met a newsboy, and hearing him crying out, "All about the Smuggler," he bought a paper. It interested him to read that Prof. Gregg had been captured in his hotel room on a charge of bringing in valuables without notifying the customs authorities. His admiration of speedy metropolitan justice was intensified on learning that his substitute had been arrested, tried and convicted within two hours, and was already beginning to enjoy a six-months' sentence. That the prisoner refused to tell the police where the gems were hidden also pleased the professor. The substitute was moodily brooding in his cell; he had been afraid to tell the police he was not the professor, for if he proved it he would convict himself of burglary, which meant a long sentence up the river. Still, although he had saved time for himself, he was far from being cheerful. Then a message arrived from the outer world. It was from Prof. Gregg. He explained that he had sold all his antiques before the substitute arrived, and he thanked the latter warmly for representing him at the roll call of the city prison. The substitute thought of the professor, who had told him he was now on the ocean, headed for a pleasure trip in Europe. The substitute was a strong, coarse man, but he wept. Then he removed his false white whiskers, part of the disguise the police had not penetrated, and cursed.
- On Al Falfa's not so real farm, he is able to grow such delicacies as a pitcher of beer and an alcoholic cocktail. He feeds the cocktail to his willing cow, Clara. But that drink makes her go a little wild, she who starts to chase Al Falfa through his vast and geographically diverse property. But since his farm isn't really real, Al Falfa can use some interesting techniques to get away from Clara.
- During the French and Indian war, while America was still under the rule of England, Col. Munro was the commander of Fort William Henry, in New York State. His two daughters arrived from England, and pushed their way into the wilderness determined to join their father. The last stage of their journey was made under the escort of a young army officer. Major Heyward, one of their father's most trusted officers, and who was deeply in love with Alice, the younger girl. Their guide was a treacherous Indian, who had planned to lure them into the wilderness and make them captives. They were saved, however, by a chance meeting with a trapper and his two Indian companions, who were men of reputation throughout that wild region. The trapper, American born, had lived with Indians all his life, and because of his skill with his rifle was known as Hawkeye. The Indians were the last of the tribe of Mohicans, who at one time ruled the country that is now New York City. But they had been driven back by the encroachments of the white men, and made their homes in the then wild region around what is now Lake George. Through the aid of this trio, the little party of whites were led toward the fort, but their treacherous guide escaped, and backed by the Huron Indians, a hostile tribe, followed and attacked them. During the attack the girls were captured, and carried off to the Hurons' village, Heyward and Hawkeye, disguised as a medicine man and his trained bear, by skill and daring, managed to rescue the younger of the two girls, but the elder was still in the power of Magua, their former guide. He was cornered at last with his fair captive, and in an effort to rescue her, Uncas was killed. His death was avenged by the unerring rifle of Hawkeye. The old chief, the last of his tribe, mourned his dead, comforted by Hawkeye, who tells him, "The gifts of our color may be different, but God has so placed us as to journey in the same path. I have no kin, and like you, no people. The boy has left us for a time, but, sagamore, you are not alone."
- An American in Turkey is mistakenly arrested and thrown in jail. He escapes and is helped by the daughter of the local ruler, called the Pasha.
- Nora, the only child of a kindly old man, never "grew up" so far as he could see. He treated her "like a doll," as she said later when her eyes were opened, but her girlhood was happy and carefree. She never had opinions, those of her father were enough for her, and when he suggested that she marry Torval Helmer, a young man of probity, she was not consulted. Neither did she object, for that is not one of the doll's privileges. The husband, as did the father, treated Nora like a doll. It never occurred to him that she was a being with a mind and intelligence, but he was fond of her, in his own superior, condescending way. When he was taken sick, he thought it was very kind of her old father to give them the money that paid for a health trip to Italy. He did not know that his "doll wife" had borrowed the cash from a money lender, and to get it has to forge her father's name. Her excuse, perfectly reasonable to her doll's mind, although not legal, was that her father would have signed had it not been that he was fatally ill at the time. And the money was needed, as the doctors told her that without the trip Torval would certainly die. But the artifices of the "doll wife" was a closely guarded secret for many years. She worked late at night, sewing, to pay off the load of her debt under which she labored. And the years passed on, and children came, and Torval grew in wealth and knowledge, but he never once realized that Nora had troubles, and anxiety, simply because she bore her cross with a smiling face. When Torval became the manager of a bank, the crisis came. One of the clerks was lazy and irresponsible, and the new manager discharged him. And he was the man who had loaned Nora the money. He saw a chance to get his place back, and called upon Nora, threatening her with exposure unless he was restored to duty. Then for the first time, she realized that she had committed, what in the eyes of the law was a crime. In her pitiful, doll-like way she tried to get her husband to restore the clerk to duty, but was rebuffed. For he could not see what right she had to interfere in his business. He was not really angry, just provoked. The clerk carried out his threat, but Nora, for a time was able to keep her husband from reading the letter. Then she decided to let the exposure come, believing that the husband who had guided and petted her for years, would, to clear her, take the blame upon himself. But Torval showed that she had not judged him wrongly. His terror was aroused, not for fear of consequences to her, but because of what might happen to himself. And the eyes of the "doll wife" were opened. When the danger of exposure had passes away, through the eleventh hour repentance of the clerk, Torval was ready to forgive and forget. But Nora was not. She saw hos her life had been spoiled from infancy, how she had been suppressed and ignored, and resolutely left her home to start life anew and alone. The pleadings of her husband, and the thoughts of her children did not move her. They were all a part of the "doll's house" and its furniture, and they had no part in the life of a woman, so she put them away from her. And Torval, too late, realizes the fault was his. She tells him that some day she may return "if the miracle happens, making me a different woman, and you are a different man." He lives on, striving for the miracle.
- The conversation at Dr. Emerson's farewell bachelor dinner veered to the struggles in the medical world to achieve success legitimately. "Tomorrow," said Emerson, "I operate on a rich old man; one of his relatives offered me $20,000 if he dies." After the others had departed, the rejected suitor lingered, and kept Emerson up late, plying him with wine. The next day, he was unfit for the operation, and the patient died. The police arrested Emerson on evidence contained in an anonymous letter and statement of the rejected suitor that Emerson had confessed the crime. On the way to prison Emerson escaped by jumping into the river, and after a futile search was reported as drowned. Years passed, and the rival, who had married Emerson's former fiancée, became a successful ship owner. On visiting one of his ships his little daughter makes friends with a morose sailor, and a few days later she disappears. After several months an aviator brings her back to her father, with a note tucked in her dress, "She has been saved by your bitterest enemy. Beware. Some day he will strike through her." She tells of the trip on one of his own leaky boats, the wreck, and her rescue by the sailor "doctor man," and her father realizes with terror who his enemy is.
- In the 1850s twin girls fall in love with the same young man, and must struggle with their feelings once he goes off to fight in the Civil War.
- Jack Redfern is a young bachelor who has finally succumbed to the charms of the other sex and arranged for a dive into matrimony. At this momentous stage of his life he receives the following note in feminine handwriting: "Dear Jack, Ever so glad to hear of your approaching marriage. It's the best thing you ever did in your life. I know. I've tried it twice. An old Sweetheart of Yours." Gazing into the fire, Jack dreamily contemplates the letter and tries to think which "old sweetheart" it could be. Could it be Betty, his schoolgirl sweetheart? He conjures up a vision of her as she looked in the old days, walking slowly down the country road swinging her books on their strap. She is startled to see a fight going on further down the road. She runs to the scene of the combat and finds that the participants are Jack and another schoolboy. Betty rushes between them and stops the fight. Jack explains to her that the other fellow says she loves him best. Betty makes the boys shake hands, and then kisses Jack. The other boy goes off feeling blue. Betty and Jack and then seen holding hands and Jack carrying Betty's books. The vision fades and next he dreams of Kate, his football mascot. Could she have written that startling note? He sees a corner of the grandstand at a football game, with Kate in the front row vigorously waving a college flag. Jack, a player in the game, hurts his wrist, to Kate's great grief. Heroic Kate bandages his wrist with her lace handkerchief. Could Tootsie of the Gayety have been the writer? As Kate's vision fades, a picture of Tootsie comes before him as he saw her on the stage. He sees himself throwing her a huge bunch of violets which she fervently kisses, while he looks supremely happy. Then a vision of Elizabeth, his fair co-ed, arises. Elizabeth and he, both in cap and gown, walk slowly along the college campus, reading from the same book. As they cross a road, an auto containing a party of visitors comes swiftly upon them, and so engrossed are they in their book that they do not sec their danger until too late. Elizabeth, who is nearest the auto, is knocked down, despite Jack's efforts to save her. Jack and the autoists revive her; opening her eyes, she smiles up into Jack's face and assures him that she's all right. He assists her to her feet and gently leads her to the auto. Then in turn he calls up visions of Clara, the summer girl, as he suddenly left her when her father chased him off the premises, of Jeannette, the fascinating young widow who tricked him, of Helen, whom he could have married had he not met - Mary, the sweetest sweetheart of them all, whom he awakes to wed! His final vision is at the wedding, where, as the ceremony is being performed, he sees the group of old sweethearts waving good luck to him.
- The wealthy Schuyler family hires a strict governess, Quincy, to watch over their daughter Marcia. When the parents leave on a trip to Japan they tell Quincy to send Marcia to a boarding school while they're gone, but Marcia--wanting nothing to do with a boarding school--switches places with Quincy's niece, who is being sent to an orphanage. She is "adopted" by the Benton family, who own a farm. Soon the carefree Marcia begins to have an effect on the dour Benton household--but complications ensue.
- Two girls fall in love with the same man. Out motoring one day they are thrown from the machine and carried to the hospital. Here one of the girls pours poison in the medicine of the other, and later the dreaded white screen is placed about the rival's bed. Here the 'twist' enters, and the story swings into a very pleasant finish.
- A young sculptor searches for the perfect model to inspire his work.
- An innocent man is accused of murdering his aunt.
- Her parents were humble peasants, and were fond of her when she was a baby, for they believed she would grow up to be a beautiful woman and make a good match. The trouble was that she didn't grow up. When she was nineteen she was no bigger than a child of six. Naturally they were overjoyed when an offer for their daughter's hand was made by another midget who lived in the same village. To their astonishment and anger, the girl refused to entertain it, declaring the husband she chose would have to be a man of whom she could be proud. Her home life was most unhappy after that, and the entire family rejoiced when a showman from the United States arrived and offered what seemed big money if she would join his "Congress of Freaks," which was quite an institution in America. And the girl went gladly. In her strange new life, she found many things to wonder at, and one object to admire, to wit: the biggest giant she had ever dreamed of. Naturally she fell deeply in love with him, but he never even suspected it. The reason was that his giantly affections were all expended on the glorious snake charmer, whom he hoped to make his bride some day. The midget, who thought her affections were returned, was disillusioned, and her romance shattered. Then the little man from across the sea crossed to America, and renewed his suit. She was won by his devotion, and accepted him.
- Elizabeth, niece of the Landgrave of Thuringion, a pretty prince who reigned during the middle ages, was noted for her beauty and goodness. In those days, when chivalry ruled the world, minstrels were held in high repute and great nobles sang to their lady loves and competed in minstrel tournaments for their favor. A minstrel tournament was held at the Landgrave's castle. There were many competitors, but all conceded that Wolfram, a young noble, would surely win the prize. And he would have succeeded if another contestant had not entered at the last moment, the young knight, Tannhauser, a stranger to the Thuringion court. Great as was Wolfram, Tannhauser was his master, and he received the laurel crown of victory from Elizabeth's fair hands. Love came to Elizabeth and Tannhauser, but the Landgrave had other plans for her, and betrothed his niece to Wolfram. Tannhauser, broken-hearted, wandered away from court. In the forests he met the pagan goddess, Venus, who ruled in her dominion beneath the earth. She cast a spell over the young knight and conducted him to her kingdom, where for a year he lived, charming Venus and her nymphs by his wonderful singing. Finally he grew weary of the life, prayed Heaven for forgiveness, and in a moment found himself in the forest which he had left a year before. Tannhauser made his way back to the court, where he found that Wolfram, discovering that Elizabeth loved Tannhauser, had freed her from the betrothal. Arrangements were made for the early marriage of the two lovers when Tannhauser, under the magic influence of Venus, praised her in song, and was accused of blasphemy. The only way that he could secure pardon was to journey to Rome with a band of pilgrims and implore forgiveness from the Pope. The Pope was a kindly man, but when he heard the sin of which Tannhauser was guilty, he wrathfully refused absolution, declaring that not until his staff should bloom would Tannhauser's lost soul be saved. Tannhauser, heart-broken, fled into the wilderness. News was brought to Elizabeth of Tannhauser's plight. She fell ill, but constantly prayed for him, and a miracle was wrought, for leaves appeared upon the Pope's staff. He recalled his words and sent a messenger to find Tannhauser and deliver his pardon to him, Tannhauser was found, and joyfully hastened to Elizabeth with the news. His joy changed to sorrow when he arrived at the castle and found that Elizabeth had died, praying to the last for him. Overcome by grief, the minstrel knight fell lifeless beside the body of his loved one.
- The young owners of a California orange grove loved each other, but they were unhappy because their lives were so narrow and circumscribed. Each dreamed of wealth and prayed continually that it might come. Sometimes dreams come true and in this particular case they did. Wealth came to the couple and they were in a position to gratify their every fancy. A young couple from the east gladly leased their grove and the original owners went to a large city expecting to spend the remainder of their days in luxury. Within a year, however, they were tired of their new life, but each was ashamed to tell the other so. While the husband was absent on a shooting trip the wife received a letter from their tenant, who also had been disillusioned. The tenant was sick of oranges and longed for "that dear Broadway." Under the circumstances the woman saw her duty clear. Her husband returned, weary after his outing, to receive word that his wife had gone back to the orange grove "to look after the property." He followed her there, found her in an old gingham dress and sun bonnet, thoroughly happy because she was again settled in the land she loved. It might be added that he was heartily glad to join her.
- Phoebe Lester, a little country girl, whispers to her pet hen, "You've laid an egg for a man from New York. Ain't you proud?" and while taking breakfast to Philip, the new boarder, who came from that distant place, she gazes at him as if he has come from an unknown land. Returning to the city with a newfound love and regained health, Philip struggles to sell his poems to bring his "egg" girl to her New York. In the meantime, Phoebe's brown hen proves to be a golden one, and her egg money buys a ticket to Philip and her Wonderland. On the train, Laura, a flashily-dressed woman, meets Phoebe and, tempting her with a nice new dress, takes her to her house. There, Owen, a former employer of Philip, is fascinated by her simplicity. Such grandeur and strange "fizzy" drinks overwhelm her, but Providence intervenes, when the little brown hen hops into the street with Phoebe scrambling after. A big-hearted policeman finds her and takes her to Philip, and acts as "bridesmaid" at their wedding. Their little home, built on much love and little food, is brightened by the adoption of Johnny, an abandoned baby, that Philip finds on the dumbwaiter. Johnny brings good luck and Philip secures a good job through Owen and in nicer quarters their cup of happiness seems to be full, when Owen, to further his ends, contrives to get Philip to gamble with borrowed money. Phoebe, convinced by trickery, that Philip is unfaithful, is heart-broken and believes that love and her New York are unreal after all. But, the yielding, grief-stricken country girl awakens Owen's better self, and with his help the unhappy household is reunited.
- Outside the door of the home of a sculptor and his mother, fell a poor, friendless young girl. They took the girl in and cared for her, and as time went on the mother began to regard her as her daughter. The son regarded the affectionate advances of the girl with only brotherly love. But there came a time when the misgivings of the son changed, for he began to pay scant attentions to a young beauty he met at a reception and who was characterized as a woman with a heart "cold as marble." This piqued the beauty, who was accustomed to abject adulation. She determined to bring him to her feet and in this she succeeded. She offered to pose for him, and, spurred on by such a splendid model and her praises, he produced a figure which was acclaimed by all the critics as a masterpiece. With fame thus attained he neglected his home and spent all his time wooing the beauty, who was cold and impassive as the statue. The sculptor was warned by an editor friend that the beauty did not care for him and that he would meet the fate of her other admirers. The sculptor, disbelieving his friend's warning, fell asleep and dreamed that he was a sculptor in ancient Athens when Diogenes, the philosopher, lived. He had created a beautiful statue for a rich man, and having fallen in love with his work, he was loath the part with it when the rich man came to claim it. The rich man then ordered the soldiers to carry the statue away, and they were on the point of doing so when Diogenes appeared and told them that the statue should decide who the owner would he. The sculptor presented his case, pleading great love, which the statue paid no heed to; then the rich man displayed jewels and money, and immediately the statue extended its arms to him. The sculptor then awoke and found that it was only a dream. He was happy in the beauty's company until he found that she had pledged herself to another. This drove him frantic, and, rushing to his studio, he smashed the statue and fell dying on the floor, where he was found by the beauty and the friend. The latter indignantly ordered the beauty from the home she had wrecked.
- In ancient Egypt the young Prince of Tsa, bored by endless feasts, yearned for adventures, and clothed in a Nile boatman's garb, started out. He meets and is captivated by the charms of Ashubetis, a beautiful image maker, but his father, Pharaoh, planning a royal marriage, is enraged and orders death for the maiden and imprisonment for his son. Braving parental wrath, the prince escapes, and tries to save his loved one. He fails and is taken home mortally wounded. Ashubetis succeeds in seeing the prince in his dying moments and swears eternal faithfulness. On leaving she is discovered and thrown to the crocodiles. In Florida of 1916 a young couple meet, love each other, and part. Light is thrown on their strange love when they find a book telling of the Royal Romance of Egypt, and they see in themselves the re-embodied spirits of the ancient pair. On the anniversary of the prince's death five thousand years before, the Florida couple meet again at the prince's tomb. The strange reunion was witnessed by a passing party of tourists, who, hearing the tale for the first time, ask their lecturer if the young couple are the reincarnated lovers, and he replied: "It might be, who knows? Love is deathless. To love all things are possible."