- Russian brothers Count Boris and Alexis Rabourdin obtain a Japanese coastline defense map and plan to sell it to German agents in London. In America, Alexis schemes to marry wealthy Eve Bertram, who loves him. Boris, meanwhile, falls in love with Christine Lesley, Eve's neighbor whom Eve's brother Guy, an amateur inventor experimenting with explosives, also loves. Nogi, a Japanese spy sent to obtain the explosives, who serves as Guy's valet, plots to destroy the map. As Boris prepares to leave for London, he gives Christine an old Russian coin as a keepsake. To show Guy that she does not care for Boris, Christine attaches the coin to Guy's watch chain. That night Christine discovers Alexis' dead body. Grief stricken, Eve summons Detective Williams, who finds the coin near the body. Guy, who fought with Alexis, thinks that he killed him. After Christine agrees to marry Boris for his silence, Guy considers suicide, but during a fight, Nogi sets off an explosion killing Boris. Badly injured, Nogi confesses killing Alexis and dies as he sees Christine destroy the map.—Pamela Short
- Count Boris Rabourdin and his brother, Alexis, Russian adventurers desperate to make money, have secured a map of the permanent mines and coast defenses of Japan. They are on their way to London, where secret agents of the German government are to meet them and pay a large sum for the map. Passing through the United States they have met Eve Bertram, a very wealthy woman, and are visiting her at her country home. The younger brother, Alexis, determines to secure Eve's fortune by marrying her, but Eve's brother, Guy, a wealthy amateur who is working for his degree in chemistry and experimenting with high explosives, sees through the Russian's matrimonial plans and is angry with his sister for permitting Alexis's attentions. Guy is himself very much in love with his neighbor, Christine Lesley, to whom the older Russian, Boris, devotes himself. Guy's valet, Nogi, is an agent of the Japanese secret service and by spying, discovers that Alexis has the map. The Russians are to leave that night and Boris, feeling that his own matchmaking scheme moves too slowly advises Alexis to press his suit even if it means missing his steamer, and that he, Boris, will go to London and negotiate with the agents. Alexis reluctantly gives Boris the map. Guy and Christine quarrel about Boris's attentions to her. Boris gives Christine an old Russian coin as a keepsake, which Christine, to show that she doesn't care for it, fastens to Guy's watch fob. Boris leaves early, while Alexis, against the wishes of Guy, remains with Eve, saying he has plenty of time. Alexis is that night murdered in the sunken gardens of the Bertram estate. The next morning Christine discovers the body and tells Guy. Nogi hears the news and also the telegram Christine sends Boris telling him to return. The country police and villagers trample the grounds, obliterating any marks that might he helpful. There are no finger prints on the body and his jewelry is intact, including his watch, which stopped at 11:05. Eve Bertram, frantic with grief, telegraphs for the best detectives and offers a reward of $10,000. Detective Williams arrives and finds THE CLUE, a Russian coin, and also proves that Alexis has been strangled. Christine is about to acknowledge the coin as the one Boris gave her when Guy stops her with the statement that he killed Alexis. He says that when they met on the stairs the previous night he struck Alexis and threw him down. Christine insists that it was an accident but Guv points out that nobody will believe him and that it will kill his sister. Both Christine and Guy deny knowledge of the coin and Boris also denies that he has ever seen it. Afterwards Boris tells Christine that he knows Guy killed his brother, and says that the price of silence is that she shall marry him, to which she consents. Boris then blackmails Guy, saying that he knows who killed Alexis. The price for silence in this case is first Guy's money and then his life, which he must take himself. Williams now learns from Nogi, who is anxious to keep Boris around until he can get the map, that the coin belongs to Boris. Williams finds clues leading both to Boris and Nogi, and accuses Boris just as Christine announces her engagement to him. Guy starts to kill himself but is prevented by Christine, who declares that she loves him and who concurs in his decision to tell Williams everything. Meantime, Williams has left Nogi and Boris together and is listening through the window, hearing enough to convince him that Nogi is the murderer. Nogi offers Boris his freedom for the map. Boris refuses and they fight. Boris is getting the upper hand when Nogi throws a lighted cigarette into the powder in the laboratory. The explosion kills the Russian outright and injures Nogi so badly that he dies. Christine finds the map and destroys it for Nogi. Christine and Guy, the murder no longer between them, are united.—Moving Picture World synopsis
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