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- Little Rex McKnight, the precocious son of snobbish parents, does not like to play with the children of his mama's rich friends. Every chance he gets he runs away to enjoy life with little Mary Ellen Rafferty, whose widowed mother keeps the newsstand and tobacco shop on the corner. Mrs. Rafferty's bills for food, fuel, and rent accumulate faster than the profits of the shop. Her creditors become insistent. Mrs. Rafferty falls ill. At last, Mary Ellen pours their woes into the sympathetic ear of her playmate Rex, who racks his brain to think of some way to earn money for those who are in danger any hour of being thrown out on the street. An old blind woman gives Rex his inspiration. He gets the grocer's boy to paint him a sign reading, "Pity a Blind Widow with Six Children." This he hangs about his neck, and taking a tomato can to catch the bounty, he stations himself in a busy street. Rex garners a few coins but much more laughter until Chief Justice Jones happens along and the small boy tells him the whole story of the Raffertys' distress. Judge Jones visits Mary Ellen's sick mother and arranges to satisfy her creditors and give her a new start in business. Meanwhile, Mrs. McKnight is in hysterics over Rex's disappearance. But Judge Jones makes that all right also.
- In Milville, Kittredge St. John meets his old confederate, Roxane Bellairs, and they decide to "clean up" the town. Kittredge has a scheme, he tells Roxane, which he is going to keep secret even from her. He employs a cultured man, who is the exact double of himself in appearance, and instructs him that his duty will be to represent him at social functions as Kittredge St. John. Roxane works her way into the good graces of Major Holbrook and Mr. Bonwit, of the Milville hank. Society in Milville is entertained at Mrs. Shackleton's ball. The double, in love with Dorothy Paget, leaves after the ball in company with Major Holbrook, for the club for a game of cards. Roxane, who sees what is going on between the double and Dorothy Paget, becomes jealous, believing that the man is Kittredge. During the night of the ball, the Milville bank is robbed, and detectives discover Kittredge St. John as the burglar. The double is arrested but proves an alibi by Major Holbrook. Mr. Bonwit is in love with Roxane and lavishes gifts and money upon her. In honor of the engagement, Mrs. Shackleton gives a dinner party. While the guests are in the dining room, the house is robbed and the maid finds Kittredge at the safe, screaming her discovery, but Kittredge escapes into the next house. The double, however, is in the country with Dorothy Paget's family. Believing the double in the country to be Kittredge, the guests discredit the maid's story.
- Famous kid detective Dick, with the co-operation of his stenographer, succeeds in running down a desperate character. But the little stenographer falls victim to the wiles of the villain's wicked accomplices, and is placed by them in vile duress in an alley ash-barrel, where she falls asleep. The ashman comes and loads the barrel, with other trash, into his wagon and drives off. When the bad-boy accomplices discover that the ash man has taken the barrel away to be dumped into the ocean, their terror knows no bounds. With Detective Dick they pursue the wagon in hot haste, arriving at the ocean just as the ashman throws the barrel into it. The little stenographer's hat floats to the surface, convincing the frightened kids that she has drowned. They inform the ashman what an awful tragedy has happened, and he dives to find the body. But the cute mistress of the typewriter, awakened by a sudden jolt of the wagon, opportunely escaped from the barrel sometime before. When she appears to the boys in the flesh they believe she is a ghost and are frightened nearly to death.
- Harold sends his only pants to be pressed. Meanwhile a fire breaks out in his apartment building. Harold's rival arrives in time to climb into his window for a rescue, but Harold knocks him out and steals his pants.
- Filled with memories of the Philippine campaign, Lieutenant Ranson returns to the United States. After a month or two in Washington, he tells his father that he must have a change, and a chance to see some excitement. General Ranson writes and arranges to have him go to Fort Stanton, Texas, an Army post commanded by an old friend. Arrived at the railroad town nearest to the post, Ranson is conveyed to the post by stagecoach. A prairie fire is in progress a few miles away from Fort Stanton, and Ranson joins the soldiers and others in fighting it. Incidentally, he is successful in rescuing Mary Cahill, the daughter of the post-trader, Patrick Cahill. Ranson is received into the life of the fort and becomes a leader among the younger men. Ranson talks of the "big doings" out in the Philippines, and is "bored to death" with the dull routine of the fort. When one of the men calls his attention to a placard announcing a large reward for the capture of "The Red Rider," Ranson declares that it is nothing at all to hold up a stage; that anyone can do it and get away with it; that on a $50 bet, he himself, will hold up the stagecoach that night with a pair of shears. His brother officers ridicule the idea. Ranson insists that he can, and will, do it. Meantime, at the railway town, the coach has already started when Lieutenant Patten, the paymaster, arrives, carrying a bag containing $10.000 with which to pay off the soldiers. Finding the coach gone, he engages a man with a buckboard to drive him to the fort. Ranson successfully holds up the stagecoach. He is polite to the two lady passengers and takes nothing from anybody except a souvenir from one of the ladies, in the form of her photograph, this being sufficient proof to show his brother officers. He then rides back to the post. Meantime, Lieutenant Patten, hurrying along in the buckboard, is held up by a masked man dressed almost exactly as was Ranson. In a fight that ensues, the highwayman shoots and kills the driver of the buckboard, and wounds the lieutenant in the shoulder. The robber then gets possession of the bag of money and makes good his escape, but not before he has been himself shot in the hand by the paymaster. At the post, the news of the robbery arrives with the return of the detachment of men who have been sent out to escort the paymaster. They bring Lieutenant Patten with them, and he tells of the robbery and of having wounded the robber in the hand. As an outcome of the whole affair, Ranson is arrested, charged with having held up both stage and the pay-train. He is confined to his quarters, awaiting court martial, and there he sends for Mr. Cahill, with whom he wishes to speak in regard to Mary. He notices that Cabin's hand is bandaged, but Cahill tells him that his pony bit him while he was bridling her. Mary enters, and in the course of the conversation tells Ranson that her father has told her that he shot himself in the hand while fooling with his revolver. Ranson is at once suspicious, and when Mary goes out he accuses Cahill of being the real "Red Rider." Finally Cahill confesses that it is true. Ranson tells him that no matter what happened, he will stick by his daughter. He urges Cahill to hurry away to Fort Worth on the pretext of buying an engagement ring. Cahill says he will do so and that he will write a letter of confession exonerating Ranson, after he is safely in Canada. But hardly has he entered the other room when Ranson hears a shot. Rushing in, he finds Cahill lying across the table, a bullet through his brain. By his hand is a brief note of confession, which he has hastily scribbled. As Mary rushes in, Ranson draws her back but she has guessed the truth. Her father has paid for his long-concealed life of crime, and now she gives herself wholly into Ranson's keeping, knowing that her father's wish was to have them marry and be happy.
- Young Henry Clay Madison, a clerk, falls in love with Flossy Wilson, a prostitute from New York's East Side. Although she reforms under his influence, Flossy believes that she is unworthy of Madison and rejects his marriage proposal. Seventeen years later, Madison's nephew Bert, a social worker, falls in love with wanton Fifty-Fifty Mamie, reforms her and elicits her help in his work. Bert falls ill, and when Mamie tries to visit him, Madison, who now is concerned only with money, convinces her to give up the idea of marrying Bert. Mamie goes to work in Madison's canning factory to investigate conditions. In addition to employing children, Madison's factory has no fire escape and only one staircase, which catches fire, many children die and Mamie is seriously injured. Madison visits Mamie, who cries Bert's name in delirium. When Madison brings Bert, now recovered, Madison notices a photograph of Flossy, Mamie's mother and realizes that Mamie is his daughter. She dies in Bert's arms, and Madison resolves to toil for the welfare of workers and the end of child slavery.
- Leo Fielding, a professor of languages, reluctantly goes with his younger brother Henri to an anarchists' meeting. In black robes and masks, members draw ballots to choose someone to assassinate the prince. When the police raid, Leo says that he induced Henri to attend. Banished, Leo goes to America, sadly leaving his baby Floria with Henri. Five years later, Henri's wife Dulcine, wanting Floria's inheritance, urges Henri to send their niece to Leo with Count DeGrasse, the anarchist leader, whom she has secretly paid to kill the girl en route. After learning of Floria's supposed drowning, Leo loses interest in life. Years later he becomes a circus barker and makes friends with the aerialist, in reality his daughter Floria, whom DeGrasse, the ringmaster, has forced to support him. After Floria refuses to marry manager Lemuel Salter, owner Wilfred Wells, masquerading as a stenographer to investigate graft, falls in love with her and thrashes Salter. In revenge, Salter pours acid on the safety net, but DeGrasse performs before Floria and is killed. Before dying, DeGrasse reveals Floria's identity. Now reconciled with Leo, Floria marries Wilfred.
- Hiram and Martin, two whole-hearted fishermen, bring in a raft which they find being tossed about by the waves. On it are two little babes and the body of a dead man. Under pretense of aiding in the rescue, Mark Vale, a beach comber, steals some papers from the body of the man. That night, however, he is killed by a bolt of lightning and the secret of his papers is lost. On arriving home with the rescued babies, Hiram and Martin decide to adopt them, Hiram taking the boy, and Martin the girl. "Let's call them Jack and Jill," they say, and so they are christened. Twenty years pass by, and with these years, grows up an ardent love between Jack and Jill. Luke Vale, the son of Mark, forces his attentions upon Jill, but is spurned and so, takes to drink. Reeling about the cabin one day, he dislodges a loose stone in the chimney and finds the papers, stolen by his father, twenty years ago. "You cannot marry Jack," he screams to Jill, "for you are brother and sister." Jack rushes to Luke's cabin to demand proof of his statement. A fierce fight ensues, and again this fateful stone is loosened from its place in the chimney. Attracted by the sounds of the struggle, the village folk rush to the cabin. The old priest reads the stolen papers, and denounces the villainous Luke. Jack and Jill were merely children of friends, returning home on the same luckless ship. They are now free to follow the dictates of their hearts, and we see them, seated on the beach planning the future, dreaming of the days to be.
- "Two's company, three's a crowd." Donald and Eleanor are in love, so that Jim realizes it is up to him to pick a peach for himself. There is only one room left at their country boarding house and Jim wants to make sure that no one but the proper peach rents it. In order to keep the proprietress busy while he interviews the applicants for the room, Jim gives her the animated picture book to look at. There's the fly Mr. Fly, who is looking for a mate. In his travels, he imbibes rather too freely of the fiery water, and then, but what self-respecting fly would marry a drunkard? And Mr. Fly flies into the embraces of flypaper forever. Meanwhile, Jim is busily picking his peach. He turns away a stoutish lass who wants the room with her sister, but rents it to what he thinks is The Peach. But when that peach relaxes and takes off that wig of luxuriant curls, etc., Jim turns yellow. The peach is a lemon. Let's see what the proprietress is laughing at. It's Kid Kelly, who has just smoked papa's butt. How the room swims, and how his head whirls, and oh, poor Fido. Gosh, what a strong cigar. It reminds us of the day we stole that first one from Dad. The proprietress has just turned another page when Jim emerges from the house, pursued by the cling-stone. Nothing left to do; he is going to end it all, and he heads for the lake. Then he meets the corpulent miss and her sister, the one whom he refused the room to, uh, mamma, what a sister that is; those eyes; that hair; those teeth. That settles it. Jim heads for the lake with the lemon in hot pursuit and then, bubble, bubble. Poor Jim.
- Attracted by a spiritualist medium's ad, George Washington Jones decided to try a glimpse into the future. He called on Svengali and was so thoroughly frightened by a number of ghosts that he rushed from the house as though a legion of devils were after him. The first man he met was a sausage peddler clad in white duck clothing. Jones thought him a ghost and ran harder, knocking over people right and left. He next rushed into a house to escape his imaginary pursuer and found himself in the middle of a wedding party. Thinking the bride was a ghost, fresh fear gave him wings, and he rushed out of the place. He no sooner reached the street when he was confronted by a "'white wings" street sweeper. Jones let out a yell, and rushed down the street and into a bakery, only to meet a white-clad baker; in the tussle, the baker threw him into a big flour bin, closed the lid, and rushed out to get a policeman. In a few moments Jones emerged completely covered with flour, and again took up his wild rush for home with the crowd following him. Plunging into his house, he sees his own wife sitting at the table clad in white nightgown and cap. Thinking that she was another ghost, he was paralyzed, but the final blow came when he caught sight of his own flour-covered face in the mirror. This was too much for him and he collapsed in a heap just as the crowd rushed in and burst into roars of laughter at sight of the couple.
- Jonah Mudd, a victim of circumstances, and I. Dodge Work, meet to hear the reading of the will of Patch Work. I. Dodge Work, the nephew, is vindictive when Uncle leaves him a brass monkey, his most cherished treasure. Jonah is unable to pay alimony to Birdie, his divorced wife, and she urges her "little" brother onto him. Before Birdie's brother appears, Jonah falls down a stairway, is hit by a telephone pole and has a series of exciting episodes with Genevieve, his daughter. Birdie's brother, Big Bill, proceeds to attend to Jonah Mudd, but encounters a fierce canine. Finally at an auction sale, I. Dodge Work garbs himself in the skin of a gigantic bear. Jonah believes the bear a live one. With a revolver, he gives chase and a sensational pursuit results. The end comes when Jonah and the bear are lifted through roofs by the force of an explosion.
- Lemuel Tidd, chief of police, and Ezekiel Slover, chief of the fire department, are bitter rivals for the hand of Amy Grey. The two resort to all manner of tricks and deceptions in order to gain an advantage. When fire breaks out in Punktown, the fire department saves the chief of police in a marvelous manner and saves Amy Grey by a still more wonderful feat, by sliding down a stream of water from the fire hose. After both the chiefs have extended themselves to the limit, they drag themselves away from the noise and confusion to resume their listless lives and to give their future strictly to the duties of their respective offices namely, caring for the safety and happiness of Punktown.
- Squire Higgs was the busiest man in Dogs' Corners. He was fire department, minister, doctor, constable. Postmaster, everything, in fact, in way of a public official. One hot day, returning from sundry was duties he summoned to stop a street fight. He put on his police hat, but had scarcely arrived upon the scene when the fire bells began to clang. Tearing back to the office, he hastily exchanged police hat for fire helmet and rushed to the burning property. But no sooner was he getting the flames under control than he was pulled off the job to prevent the fighters murdering each other. A lightning change of hats saw the squire separating the bloodthirsty combatants, when the fire broke out afresh. The helmet hack in vogue, he was handling the conflagration heroically when he was attacked by a love-sick young man who insisted that he perform his marriage ceremony on the spot. Back to the office flew the first citizen of Dogs' Corners, hustled into his clerical hat and was about to pronounce the matrimonial blessing, when the town arrived in a body to drag him back to the fire. The lovesick young man and his bride went too, clinging onto the squire's coat tails. Higgs put the bridegroom in the bucket brigade, swashed out the fire called in the erstwhile fighters to stand as witnesses, married the young couple, and collected his fee.
- The day of the widow's arrival at the seaside resort is a "red-letter" day in the career of the half dozen men who are enslaved by the beauty of her face and form. As one man, they vow to win her. Her suitors are of every variety, tall and short, fat and thin, young and old. Prominent among them is Albertus Simpleton, who lives up to his name. By feigning to faint, he succeeds in becoming acquainted with the widow, who hurries to his assistance when he "collapses." This leads to his introducing his men friends. Together, they start out gay "doings," but each time Albertus gets "stuck" and is forced to pay the bills. Meantime, each is trying to win the first place in the widow's regard. Mr. Gout "saves" her when she is about to fall off a hoard-walk two feet higher than the beach, and sometime later they discover that the veiled lady whom they treat to refreshments while she is occupying the widow's wheelchair is none other than the widow's colored maid. Finally, on the widow's last day at the beach, she goes in bathing again, and while in deep water is taken with a cramp. She has gone in alone on this occasion, and now calls for help. She is heard by one of her followers, who, however, is very slow in going to her assistance. Two of the others also see her, but they hurry off to get a life-saver, their motto evidently being, "Let George do it." On this occasion, George's other name is Albertus, and after a little hesitation, this valorous youth jumps into the water and swims to her assistance. He is finally successful in bringing her safely to shore. The widow delays her departure one more day, and as she is leaving they all come to bid her good-bye. When Albertus presents his card, up to this time, she has known him only by his first name, the widow laughingly informs him that she is his late father's widow, she having married his father while Albertus was touring in Italy. For the benefit of her other suitors, the widow adds that she is quite content to remain a widow, for a while longer, at least.
- Krazy-Nutt, tired of the confinement of four stone walls, left quite unexpectedly. Krazy-Nutt's passion was athletics. Mr. Newlywed thought Krazy-Nutt his aunt and sought to gratify the passion when Krazy-Nutt cried for a horse to go horseback. The Dilly boys of the local theater supplied the need as the fore and aft of a much-desired steed. They started something and kept it up, and Krazy-Nutt had a ride all right, all right.
- Ike Lew, hatter, finds business dull. He is raving up and down in front of his store, when two Irishmen get into an argument across the street and one of them throws a brick. Ike is hit in the back, which doesn't improve his temper, until he is seized by a bright idea. He calls his son, Sammy, and arming him with the brick sends him up the street to break some gentleman's hat. The scheme works. A tall silk hat is sacrificed, and the owner hurries to Ike's shop to buy a new one. Sammy doubles his ammunition, with a brick in either hand, proceeds far and wide to demolish headgear and to drive the trade into the parental establishment. There is such a thing as choosing one's victims sagaciously. When Sammy, who is not an infallible marksman, bricks a celebrated pugilist in the chest, his little game abruptly comes to a close. The prizefighter rounds him up in Ike's shop and by the time he gets through with the place, the hatter has decided that honesty is the best policy.
- Abner Goode (William Fables), a small-town minister, discharges the church choir and journeys to New York City to hire a new one. He wanders into a movie studio. He greatly resembles the film's property man, Johnnie "Props" Swift (William Fables), who has gone away on an errand, and the director thinks Abner is "Props". Misfortune comes rapidly to the Rev. Abner; he thinks the film's leading lady, Winnie Saum (Amy Dennis), is really going to her death in a sawmill scene, and stops the machinery, much to the dismay of the director, Bilo Mennett (Patrick Carson). Finally his blundering results in the entire studio becoming demoralized and all work coming to a halt. He is about to be assaulted by the director when "Props" makes his return and Abner makes his escape.
- Tom Neil, clerk in the law office of Robert Poindexter, is a man of no principles or ethics. When reproached by John Burly, a lawyer in the office, for studying the "dope" sheet of a newspaper so as to get a line on the horses, he resents it strongly, and the seeds of hatred are sown. Subsequently, Burly, in debt to the extent $300, to George Laughlin, a newspaperman, steals the money from the Poindexter office, as the back of Luke Jackson, the cashier, is turned. Because of inaccuracies discovered in Neil's accounts previous, the charge of theft is made against Neil. Burly, however, admits the theft, and writes out a confession to that effect. He is then dismissed and the police are not advised. Previous to the theft, Helen Poindexter, niece of Robert, had visited in New York, and became acquainted with Burly, through her uncle. A warm friendship springs up between them. After the trouble at the office. Burly leaves the city and ceases to correspond with Helen, resolving at first to make good. Helen soon returns to her home in the west. Almost a year has passed, and Burly has turned up in the west, in the same town where Helen resides. Daily, in the public square, Helen, her features obscured by a heavy veil, dispenses food to the poor. On one occasion she hands food to Burly, who has kept straight and paid back some of the money to Robert Poindexter. A note is slipped into her hand by Burly, who does not recognize her. She reads the note, which is an appeal tor assistance. The following day she decides to test him and drops her purse where he sees it. A few hours after, Burly returns the purse to her at her home when he faints from hunger. He recognizes her later and is persuaded to remain in Helen's home until he recovers. Helen writes to her uncle in New York telling how straight she has found Burly to be, with the result that a recommendation is sent on for Burly by Robert Poindexter and his confession is torn up. Neil, through the keyhole, sees his employer tear up the confession and gets it and pastes it together. With revenge in his heart and seeing a chance to blackmail Burly, now a lawyer in the office of ex-Judge Gary. Neil goes west and puts it up to Burly, who buys the confession. Neil substitutes a decoy for the original, which he sells to District Attorney Wallace, Burly's opponent for political office. George Laughlin, now editor of the newspaper in the same western town, supports Burly strongly for the office, but Wallace's disclosures of the theft are endangering Burly's chances. Helen, whom Wallace has been paying attentions to, succeeds in tearing off the signature from the confession in Wallace's office, so when the confession is shown to newspaper men, it has no signature and is declared a forgery. Consequently Burly wins both the election and Helen's hand.
- In the west, Mr. James Travers is known by quite a different name, and many cities west of Chicago have his rather handsome features in their local "Rogue's Gallery." His wife is as notorious as he, and Fogarty, his companion, is well known at headquarters in New York City. After arriving at a fashionable hostelry in the latter city, they receive a visit from a well-known jeweler, who has come to them after being requested to bring with him a valuable necklace. Once in their apartment, a blackjack in the hands of Fogarty drops him unconscious into a chair, and the crooks make their escape from the hotel with the stolen jewels. But in the struggle following the first blow on the head, the jeweler has torn Fogarty's collar from his neck, and Revelle, from headquarters, who has been assigned to the case, eventually finds the laundry, where the New York crook has been haying his laundry done, and in that way traces the nefarious trio to Fogarty's house. Coming there in the evening, after he has seen the three crooks leave together he lets himself in with a skeleton key. He is surprised by the crooks, who return unexpectedly, and is made a prisoner. He is left tied up in the cellar. Revelle's daughter, Bessie, is on her way home from the telegraph office where she is employed. She meets Tom Merriwell, her sweetheart, and stops to speak to him. While they are chattering, Bessie hears some tapping on the stand-pipe which rises from the ground and passes the outer wall of a nearby house. Listening, she discovers that someone is tapping out a message in the telegraph code, on the pipe. "Help. Help. Help. The cellar," it calls repeatedly. Tom calls another policeman, and the party bursts into the house. In the cellar, they find Bessie's father bound and gagged. Acquainted with the telegraph code, he had sent the message of distress, with the lucky result shown. Examining some old letters in the room above, Revelle finds a signature that gives him a new clue. He finally discovers the house in which the three crooks are hiding, and makes his way into the cellar. Here, hiding in a barrel, he sees them come down and take the corks from a couple of wine bottles standing on the shelves against the wall. Out of these bottles they take two or three splendid necklaces, the proceeds of former robberies, and they indicate that other bottles also contain stolen jewels. They are about to slip their latest haul into a bottle when the detective springs up and covers them with a revolver, firing one shot to attract the attention of the young policeman, Tom, who is waiting outside. The three crooks are made prisoners, and taken to the station house. Bessie, come to inquire as to her father's whereabouts, finds him there, and after the jewel robbers have been safely locked up, Revelle, his daughter, and his future son-in-law, their day's work done, stroll home together.
- Elias Simpkins, an energetic farmer, wishes to marry his daughter, Letty, to Notso Short, son of Judge Short, a banker. However, Letty and Hank Higgins, the industrious farm hand, have resolved to marry at the first opportunity, when Judge Short brings his son, Notso, to see Letty. Hank Higgins is instrumental in causing a riot which results in Judge Short leaving the old farm in anger. After a series of unfortunate circumstances, Elias Simpkins resolves to have revenge on his farm hand and orders Letty to remain indoors, while papa sees the bird men fly. Hank and Letty seize the opportunity to elope. Simpkins follows the train in an airship. He overtakes the fugitives but does not foil their purpose because he is thrown off the train by the irate commercial travelers.
- Striving to maintain the dignity of the old Southern home, Molly Claiborne begs her brother, Douglas, to stop dissipating. He persists, however, and steals the income check, her only means of support. Fearing that they have murdered Randolph Porter, whom they have assaulted while drunk, Douglas and his companion in dissipation, Jackson Larabee, escape to the west. They read in the papers of Jerry Mason and the fortunes he has made in Rhylote, Nevada. So they make that town their goal. In the newspaper Molly sees a picture of Jerry Mason and reads his career. He becomes her inspiration, and she feels that Douglas will make good just as he has done. Meanwhile, the mortgage on the home is foreclosed, and the old Claiborne house is sold. Molly must support herself. In Nevada. Jerry and Jackson Larabee continue their dissipation. Mining for gold means work, and that is not to their liking. Jerry Mason befriends Douglas, and offers lo take him prospecting, but Douglas sticks to the old path. He returns to the faro table and the bar. In need of funds, Douglas telegraphs Molly that he has struck it rich and needs money to strike a claim. With a firm faith in her brother, Molly sends him her sayings. Misled by Douglas's telegram, Molly believes that be will now be able to care for her and so, leaves for Rhylote. Meanwhile, in a drunken brawl, Jackson Larabee kills Douglas using an old pick handle belonging to Jerry Mason to do the deed. Molly arrives in Rhylote, and Jerry, who knows her from a photograph which Douglas carried with him, gives over his cabin to her and her old mammy, Aunt Fanny. In the short period of their acquaintance a love springs up between them and Jerry's kindness to her makes her love grow daily. Jerry has struck it rich again, and goes to San Francisco to have his specimens assayed. Meanwhile, the fatal pick handle bearing his name bus cast suspicion of the murder upon him. To shield himself, Jackson Larabee organizes a lynching party. On his return, Jerry is surrounded, and the party prepares for the lynching. Molly, informed of this, is overwrought by the thought that Jerry is her brother's murderer. But Nell, a barroom maid, the only one who has seen the murder committed, tells her the truth and Molly returns to the scene of the banging just in time to save from an unjust fate. Larabee receives his just due, and Molly falls into the arms of Jerry, to be protected by him forever.
- When Tony Gay arrived at his sister's house he saw sister's husband fleeing with the child. His sister explained that her husband became peeved because she had caught him kissing the cook and had gone away. Sister urges brother to get on the trail. Just as Tony Gay enters the drug dispensary, the owner receives a letter that the place will be hoisted by a bomb at ten o'clock sharp that night unless ten thousand dollars are left down by the old mill. Tony Gay asks if the druggist desires to sell the store and receives a reply in the affirmative. Tony Gay plots to run the place and give brother-in-law a dose that will keep him under the covers until he, Tony, collars the baby. Old Sport, the dauntless athlete, training for a battle with Dusty Bob, the Husky Hitter, is hired as drug clerk. Before any prescriptions are filled the two try them out on the dog with ill effects to the dog. Old Sport shows his skill in dispensing soda-water, but tries to disappear when Dusty Bob, his ancient enemy, appears with blood in his eye. However, Old Sport is victorious. During the melee, a dog placed in a sweat bath is forgotten and emerges in a shrunken condition. Searching for the lost baby, Tony Gay and Old Sport are mistaken for burglars in a girls' boarding school. In the melee, Tony Gay's sister appears, recognizes him, and is delighted when Old Sport hands over a Rag Baby, which has caused all the misunderstanding.
- Eddie Reynolds and Billie Drew read of a new revolution, headed by General Villanza, which has broken out in Panzuelo. The same day comes a message from the president of that South American republic, asking their aid in crushing the revolution. As quickly as preparations can be made, they are off on a steamer bound for the South American port. Aboard ship, they meet Mary and Alice Bruce, the two daughters of Stephen Bruce, who happens to be the American backer of the president of the republic. It is a case of love at first sight with the young men. Arrived in the capital of Panzuelo, they at once place themselves at the president's disposal. Following their meeting with the president and his staff, they receive a warning message to the effect that if they do not leave the country at once they will never do so alive. The boys laugh at the sinister message and make further preparations to aid the existing government. General Villanza, the rebel leader, consults with his officers, and it is agreed that since Mr. Bruce is backing the president, the revolutionists will win a big point if they can capture Bruce's two daughters and hold them as hostages, threatening to kill them if their father does not withdraw his aid from the president and transfer it to General Villanza. After careful planning, the girls are captured while out riding, and are placed under guard in a tent of the rebel camp. Learning of this, Reynolds and Drew immediately make plans to rescue the girls. From that point on to the end of the story startling events follow each other thick and fast until, finally, the boys not only rescue their sweethearts but effect the capture of General Villanza himself. The rebel leader is given his choice of being put to death or of giving up the fight and inducing his followers to surrender. He finally capitulates and peace is restored. The boys are given a handsome reward by the president and the last chapter of the story is reached when Mr. Bruce and his wife give their consent to the marriage of their daughters with the two young men.
- Bill, the biggest boy in school, abuses one of the smaller pupils and blames Joe, the son of a poor widow. The teacher punishes Joe. After school Joe calls Bill to accountant and worsts him in a fisticuffs encounter. He also protects Dorothea, the bank president's pretty little daughter, from the bully's unwelcome attentions, and she rewards him by inviting him to her birthday party. But the poor boy has no money to buy Dorothea a present. He is a young man of advanced ideas, however,so applies at the local bank for a loan of 10 cents. The bank president issues the tiny loan with all formality, and the poor boy buys the present and goes to the party. A week later, Joe's loan falls due. He earns the money and hurries away to repay the bank. Arriving after closing hours, he enters a store next door, and finds himself among crooks who are absorbed in breaking into the bank. Joe hides. Following the bandits into the bank, he manages to make his way into a private office where he calls up the bank president on the phone. The police arrive. In the gun fight, Joe is accidentally wounded. The bank president gives the boy's mother a substantial sum of money as a reward of her son's bravery. Dorothea and Joe pledge to be friends all their lives.
- Mary, the new boarder at Mrs. McCarthy's boarding house, is unable to obtain employment as a music teacher. In need of funds, she accepts a position as model for Robert Delevan, an artist. As the days pass, love springs up between them. Mary is happy in the thought of the home which Delevan has promised to build for her. One evening, as she sits in her room, Mary hears the sobs of Laura Lee, the boarder in the next room. Mary consoles her with words of tenderness and Laura tells her the story of a forlorn love. Once betrothed to Robert Delevan, a foolish quarrel parted them, and unless he wrote an apology, she told him, she would consider the engagement broken. Mary remembers seeing an old maid take a letter from a messenger and promise to deliver it to Laura. Realizing that the old maid, prompted by curiosity, has kept the letter, Mary demands it from her. This proves to Laura that Delevan is not really at fault. "Come to the studio tomorrow," says Mary, "I'll do the rest." Mary determines to sacrifice her own love for Delevan and to unite him once more with Laura. She proceeds to disillusion Delevan. She makes love to all of Delevan's friends as they visit the studio and tries to make apparent that her love for Delevan is merely a sham. During Delevan's absence from the room, a jealous artist attempts to destroy his painting. Mary struggles with him and Laura enters. Delevan then overpowers the artist. "She saved your painting," says Mary, pointing to Laura, and leaves the room as they embrace once more. Thus, this little girl, loving with a pure and simple love, sacrifices this love so that another may not suffer from the pangs which she herself must suffer.
- Ben Binks is such a favorite at the boarding-house in the country where he spends his vacation that on his departure he is presented with a can of strained honey. On his way to the depot, he stops in the village saloon to have a parting drink and to say good-bye to the boys. There he forgets the can of honey on the counter, where the barkeeper discovered it and puts it in the cellar for safe-keeping. A tramp, called Shifty Pete, is employed at the saloon as a roustabout. He wanders into the cellar, and after sampling several wines and whiskies, drinks the honey. Meanwhile, Binks, thinking to keep all hands off his delectable gift until he can come for it. writes the bartender that the can contains nitro-glycerin. Upon the revelation that Pete has consumed the contents of Binks' can, a doctor is summoned in great haste, who pronounces Pete highly explosive, and orders that he be handled with care. The police are notified and a special guard detailed to attend Pete. The tramp walks around, like some scared victim of the scourge of God in the ancient days, until a tough character who happens that way pitches into him without waiting for an explanation. It is sufficiently demonstrated that Pete is in no danger of exploding, and everybody in town turns in and finishes him up.
- Robert Stuart, a millionaire, has a daughter, Katherine, who was in love with a bright young American, Frank Johnson, who owned an adjoining farm. Frank was an ardent lover of sports. Dogs were his particular hobby, and he took great delight in a pair of Siberian wolf-hounds which he had trained for police work. However, Frank was by no means popular with Mr. Stuart, who favored an unprincipled fortune hunter, Count La Francisco, because of his blue blood. Therefore, when he discovered his daughter's affection for Johnson and her dislike for the Count, his rage knew no bounds. By chance, the Count overheard the father tell Katherine that he was going to send her to Europe, and immediately formulates another plan for raising money. His idea is to abduct the girl and hold her for ransom. So, in league with two of his countrymen, who have a grievance against Stuart, he proceeds to carry it out. The girl is kidnapped and taken to a hut in the woods, where she is forced to write a letter to her father demanding money. Then follows a search led by Detective Smart and Johnson in which the Count has joined so as to keep up appearances. The dogs follow the trail to the hut and a battle ensues in which the hut is destroyed by fire. Katherine is rescued and the conspirators all receive their just deserts. Stuart becomes reconciled to Johnson.
- In the presence of the village crowd, Reuben Hazelton, stupefied by drink, threatens Squire Evans and Hiram Gregory that he will "get even." The Squire, whom Reuben accuses of having defrauded him and his grist mill, is determined to marry Betty, Reuben's daughter. Betty, however, has given her heart to Dan Chamberlain, and makes it plain to the Squire that his attentions are obnoxious to her. Dan and the Squire are rival candidates for the office of prosecuting attorney. Hiram Gregory is the only one who knows the secret of the Squire's former life. Using his knowledge of a murder committed by the Squire many years previous, Hiram is extorting money from him. A short while passes. Gregory has been murdered near the grist mill, and the Squire relates to the sheriff how he saw Reuben, in fulfillment of his threat, kill Gregory. Reuben, in a drunken stupor, is arrested for the murder on the Squire's evidence. Betty and Dan maintain their belief in Reuben's innocence and prepare to work for his defense. Abner, the farm-hand, who has been reading all about Nick Carter, and who has been taking a correspondence course in "detectuffing," is determined to solve the mystery. Boxum Sally, the cook, promises to marry him if he does. Reuben, recovering from his stupor, finds his mind a blank. Betty and Dan have little grounds to work on for the defense. Election day comes and Dan is elected prosecuting attorney. As such, he must prosecute Reuben for murder. Fearing that the truth will become known and that he will be held for the murder of Gregory, the Squire attempts a ruse by which Reuben can be legally killed. He plans with the sheriff to liberate Reuben from the jail, and then to shoot him as an escaped convict. Betty, however, foils the plot. Then, the great victory for Abner, special correspondence agent of the "National Correspondence Detective Bureau." He solves the mystery, finds the stocks which are rightfully Reuben's, and proves the Squire's guilt. Fearing Gregory for his knowledge of the old crime, the Squire killed him. Confronted by the evidence, the Squire falls dead from a stroke of apoplexy. Dan and Betty are brought together in the firm bonds of love. Reuben is restored to his old position and wealth, and Abner gets Sally.
- An argument ensues whether man is or is not superior to woman. It results in the men folks remaining at home to prepare the evening meal. They fail of course and engage a caterer. At the theater Uncle Todie and Benton Holmes discover Helena Wrangle, leading lady. When four irate landlords from four small towns arrive and threaten to tie up the show, Uncle Todie proves an easy victim, and, with Helena Wrangel, hurries to rob his penny bank. But Aunt Jim arrives and there is a terrible time trying to stall her and get Helena out by disguising her as a chair. When success comes and Uncle Todie is giving Aunt Jim the lecture of her life about the superiority of man, the caterer comes in with the dinner and spoils the situation.
- Tom picks up Bob's girl, and Tom is so broken-hearted that he makes a bluff at committing suicide, which only serves to land him in the cooler. While he is there Tom hastily marries the girl, who turns out to be a widow with four children, so Bob is the one who laughs last. Virginia Kirtley is attractive in this comedy. - Motion Picture News 1915.
- Billy is seen at the summit of a hill, surveying the clotheslines and dumping grounds in the vicinage. His attention is suddenly attracted by a man's legs sticking through a fence. It is the leg of an impostor who is on the other side of the fence begging. Persons going by pity him because he has only one leg and drop money in his outstretched hat. Billy rather relishes the leg and continues to eat it. The beggar is afraid to pull his leg out as a policeman is standing nearby. Finally the pain is so great that he withdraws the leg and runs down the street without his crutches. The vengeful beggar in hot pursuit of Billy, the goat, lams the butcher's boy instead of the goat and trouble starts for him. Off on his pestiferous career again Billy butts the grocer who objects to his browsing on choice vegetables, steals the bottle from baby in a carriage and sends the baby and carriage off on a mad plunge which presents a loving pair with a baby before it is wanted. Pesky boys unhitch a dog and tie Billy to the leash of a man who was seen to ask the bartender what his address was. This dog-loving, harmless man takes Billy home, unknowingly, and Billy certainly gets the hubby in bad with the wife. By this time there is a fine collection of respectable but irate citizens in pursuit of Billy the pest, and things do mix themselves up till Billy, with Mistress Souse, resists the charges in the familiar fortifications of his shanty home.
- Felix, the King of Wallonia, is sad. He wants to be loved for himself, not for his title, and he finds it a hard job. Because of state reasons, he has to marry Louise, Princess of the neighboring State of Trebizond. The old Prince, her father, craves the elixir of youth, and gets drunk so often that Trebizond is in bad shape. Thus, it is up to Felix to be King of both States. But Louise has a love affair all of her own. Felix sees her in the embrace of Stepan, the heir presumptive to his throne, and disgusted with things in general and Louise in particular, he flees to America in disguise. With him goes his faithful comrade, Baron Tarnow. By a strange twist of circumstance he takes a job as butler in the home of J.P. Morton, multi-millionaire. There he meets Marcia, Morton's daughter, and the jig is up. He loves her. At a ball given by the Mortons an ambassador from Wallonia recognizes his King. At word from Felix, the ambassador introduces him to the Mortons as a Count. Felix creates quite a stir. Janzi, a bandit, whom Stepan has sent to America to do away with Felix, sends the Mortons a note. He describes Felix as an impostor and a fraud. Thus is Felix ordered out of the Morton home. Janzi and his confederates try to kill him but succeed only in wounding him. Marcia, feeling that she really loves him, saves him from death and nurses him back to health. Then Felix and Marcia elope and plan to get married. Papa Morton catches them and prepares to let Felix have it, but his true identity is revealed. Morton realizes that Felix is a real King. The Ambassador urges Felix to return to Wallonia. Since Stepan has become King, the people are being outraged. Because of his royal blood, Marcia knows that she cannot marry him and so gives Felix up. He returns home and pays Stepan for his villainy. Then, to save the State, he prepares to marry Louise of Trebizond. No matter what the cost the State must be saved. Pop Morton finds that Marcia loves Felix and that the separation is making her unhappy. So, like a real American millionaire, he buys up the Kingdom of Trebizond, royal titles and all. When Felix goes to the altar to be married, he finds that the Princess of Trebizond is his own little Marcia. Long live the King and Queen of Wallonia-Trebizond.
- When a stack of valuable bonds goes missing from the Grant household, suspicion falls on little Carmen Grant's playmate Georgie, whose father is a poor ex-convict trying to go straight.
- Dan's father, who is president of his lodge, has a goat delivered to his house for the initiation to take place that evening. Dan hitches the goat to the baby carriage and goes for a drive. On the boulevard he meets Billie, who is taking Mae for a drive in his pony cart. Mae is disdainful. While she and her escort are in an ice cream parlor, Dan unhitches the pony and leads it away. When Billie and Mae reappear, they are sadly upset by the loss of the pony. Dan offers to take Mae home in his goat cart. She accepts gratefully. Going downhill, the goat becomes unmanageable. Mae is spilled in the dirt, and Billie, who meanwhile has given chase in a burro outfit, again wins the fair lady away from his rival. Dan determines to get even. He plans to hold a lodge initiation patterned on the one he has heard the grown-ups talk about. That evening the affair comes off, and Billie is made the "goat" of the occasion. Billie and his father arrive home from their respective lodge initiations much battered up. They solemnly give each other the lodge high sign, and discreetly separate.
- So tired have two burglars become of psychological breakfasts and "make-believe" dinners that they gather up their yeggman's tools and start off to rob a pantry. Of epicurean tastes, despite the fact that Jim and Bill have been progressing well on the forty-day fast, they hold up a policeman and ask him where the richest man in the neighborhood lives, so as to find the best-stocked larder. Up the street they go, with the policeman following them, first with his eyes, and then in person. His suspicions rapidly rising within him, the policeman approaches the burglars, who are stationed at a window of the palatial place, watching the man of the house put the family jewels into the safe. He looks them over closely as they pull their domino masks down. He shakes his head wisely and moves on, leaving the famished burglars standing at the window with a saw, an axe, drills, "soup" and the other requisites. The lady of the house pulls the curtains down in their faces and they brand the act as evidence of ill manners. Little Rachel has stepped into the open safe and her father has carelessly closed the steel door. Jim and Bill jimmy their way into the place and immediately begin with the safe. Bill tells the alert policeman that they are piano tuners when the bluecoat follows them into the house and asks them what they are doing, as they are in the act of drilling the strong box. Bill plays an air on the piano, and even the safe dances to the alluring strains. The man of the house, who is seen in the corridor executing a little terpsichorean stunt with his wife while the music continues, realizes that there are burglars in the house and rushes downstairs with a revolver. Jim and Bill hold up their hands and the safe at the command. Meanwhile, the policeman is trying to convince himself that the men are burglars. Jim and Bill roll the safe into the pantry, where they find some pies. They are unusually soft, and the cop and the man of the house make good targets for them, when they attempt to follow the burglars into the pantry. While the policeman stands outside the pantry door, suspecting mischief, the burglars blow the safe and Rachel steps out. The burglars are showered with thanks and money, but are immediately arrested by the policeman, who was knocked over by the pantry door and walked on by the entire party for several minutes before being discovered and rescued. At the station, the burglars walk through the bars and grab the policeman, and after hauling him through into a cell, leave the jail in high spirits.
- The station agent at Twilight Sleep does his best to care for company property. When a stranger waiting the train which is four hours late, endeavors to make himself feel at home, he incurs the enmity of the agent. The lunch girl waits on the stranger, who finds himself unable to devour the food offered. A tramp appears and the stranger and the station agent endeavor to defeat the tramp at poker, but find the tramp too wise at the game. Endeavoring to pass the time away, the stranger uses doughnuts to play a game of horseshoe, and when he encounters a series of misfortunes, he rigs up a "swear" room where he can vent his displeasure without disturbing the others. The agent's assistant appears at the lunch counter and aids in the disappearance of the doughnuts and other food on sale there. The stranger finds a turkey, which is so tough that he is unable to eat it, and puts up a danger signal so that the others will not be tempted. Finally when the stranger is in the basement of the depot changing his shirt, the train, detained by a hole in the ground, makes its appearance, and the stranger arrives in time to see the rear car disappearing around the bend.
- Fate must have had a hand in arranging for Weary Willie and Dusty Rhodes to be walking along the road just at the moment when a theatrical trunk bounced from a passing delivery wagon without attracting the attention of the driver. Being accustomed to take advantage of such chances as offered themselves the two knights of the road dragged their find into the bushes, and upon opening it they discovered a complete bear skin and an appropriate uniform for the keeper. Weary struggled into the skin while Dusty put on the keeper's outfit, and after several rehearsals they started for the summer hotel to levy tribute from the guests for their trained animal act. Leonida Nimrod Buskins was one of the guests, and after trying his charms upon several of the ladies without success he had settled upon Louise Darkin as the one woman in all the world for him. He was in the midst of a well-rehearsed proposal, when she informed him that the man she married would have to be a real hero. Again Fate meddled and it was Leonida's lot to be the first one to spy the bear. Spurred on by Louise's desire to have him act the hero, he started out to kill the bear, and as he managed to get the two tramps into a tight corner, Weary decided to play possum and rolled over before Leonida could bring himself to shoot. The rest of the party arrived on the scene and Leonida's triumph was complete when the constable appeared, and after taking in the situation demanded his hunting license. Poor Leonida, beset on all sides, sought a chance of escape. Dusty Rhodes saw his opportunity, and getting him away from the others, he disclosed the truth, threatening to spoil the whole effect of Leonida's heroism unless he handed over his roll of bills. Leonida returned to his companions a poorer but a wiser man, but he was hardly prepared for the reception given him by Louise, who, having discovered that the bear was not real, greeted him with scorn, and left him polishing his engagement ring with the hope of finding further use for it at some later day.
- Bridget, the cook, has just finished handing out some of her mistress' food to Fixt Post, a policeman, who starts to exit via the kitchen door. He unknowingly drops a letter; after he leaves, she unblushingly picks it up and reads it. It says that Nora will have his sailor suit ready soon and will send it over that afternoon so that he has it for the masquerade ball at Finnegan's Hall. The conclusion is an expression of the soul and when Bridget sees the signature, "Nora," she goes to the dresser and takes out a brace of revolvers with which she intends to shoot up the ball and her faithless policeman "lover." Little Tommy stops on his way to Post's house with the bundle containing the sailor suit. A crook sees him set it down while he joins in a game with some other boys. A few minutes later Tommy turns around and discovers that the package is missing. On the other side of the high fence, the crook is opening the package. Inside is a note from Nora to the effect that she will not be at the ball until late. A ticket is enclosed and in the note Nora mentions that Mrs. McGuire will be at the affair with all of her swell diamonds, which she got with her latest husband. The crook sees a bonanza at the ball, and decides to array himself in the sailor suit and go. Bridget enters the ballroom looking for the betrayer of her love. Not sighting a sailor suit, she goes to the balcony. Her eye suddenly spots the crook, who is dancing around close to the woman with all the precious stones, and rushing to the edge of the balcony, Bridget drops to the floor below. The sailor sees her and starts to run. Bridget whips out both revolvers and starts to shoot up the place. Out of the hall goes the sailor with Bridget in hot pursuit. Down the street they go, the sailor dodging into a restaurant. He rushes in and turns over tables in his excitement. The diners are frightened and are afraid to remonstrate with what they think is an escaped lunatic. Bridget follows him in and shoots up the restaurant. Pies are thrown about and there is general chaos. The manager calls the police but that doesn't matter. The chase continues up several streets and the sailor finally ends up in a tank on the roof of a building. Bridget follows and soon all, including several policemen, are struggling in the water. Bridget then takes a good look at the sailor and sees her mistake.
- Two inventors come to grief when their bogus sausage machine goes to pieces, and they only escape from pursuing policemen by a very close margin. The two arrive at a hotel where all employees have gone on strike. Both fall in love with the landlord's daughter. Mr. Crump, the star boarder, has the gout and his ailment is not relieved any when the hotel strike-breakers wait upon him. He rides in his invalid chair out of the hotel and down the walk. Fearing the loss of his star boarder, the landlord orders a pursuit. The star boarder's chair never stops till it plunges into the lake. Bright and Early, strike-breakers, dive in after the star boarder, who failed to hold his breath as instructed.
- I. Noah Heap, after giving a number of the race track patrons some poor tips, is chased by the copper, Welland Strong, who is ever on his trail. Noah's attempts to panhandle the crowd are also thwarted by the ever watchful Strong, who seizes and throws him bodily into the street. Noah wanders into a Chinese laundry and induces the owners to give him a smoke. He plants himself in the old man's bunk and after a couple of drags at the pipe he is off for a wonderful dream. He finds himself in a palace, surrounded by beautiful girls, and the Princess, who falls in love with him. The place is turned over to him and his every wish is granted. The Princess even orders the Captain of the Guards to provide him with a private slave. When the slave arrives it is no other than the despised copper. He is treated to a series of abuses for the edification of Noah; being forced to battle with the gigantic gladiator, the court wrestlers, and finally is thrown to the lion. They all in turn fall easy prey to the cop, the lion being a cinch for him. At the sight of this the Princess turns her affections from Noah to Strong. Noah is chased by the guards, takes refuge beneath some skins, but is shaking so with fear that the guards easily find him, and while they are poking him with their spears he comes out of the dream to find that it is the old Chink poking him with the clothes stick and demanding his money for the smoke. Noah is clean as a bone and is thrown into the street again by the Chink and rolls into the arms of the waiting cop, and is once more marched off to jail. Moving Picture World, August 25, 1917