- After being betrayed and then cast off by attorney Phidias Trent, Rita Castle places her infant daughter Alicia in a convent. A short time later, Rita marries Ralph Christie, a widower and the father of a little boy, Dick. When Christie learns of Rita's past, however, he divorces her. Years later, Trent, now happily married, is nominated for district attorney, and Rita, who has become a political lobbyist, decides that it is time to extract her revenge and threatens to expose Trent. Trent's campaign manager, Hal Clement, in turn threatens to reveal Rita's former life to Alicia, who has met and fallen in love with Dick. Clement then assaults Alicia, and Rita, returning home, shoots and kills him. It is the duty of Trent, the new district attorney, to prosecute Rita. She informs him that her daughter is also his child. Ralph and Dick come to Rita's aid, but she dies of heart failure in Trent's office after declaring that Alicia is an adopted child, thus shielding her daughter's name from disgrace.—Pamela Short
- Rita Castle, who lives in a squalid East Side tenement with her mother and brother, Tom, works as a clerk in a department store. Mrs. Castle is an invalid, and Rita, after her day's work at the store, has to help her mother with the housework. The floorwalker in the store makes Rita a proposition which so infuriates her that she gives him a tongue-lashing which results in her losing her position. On the way home she is accosted by her dissolute brother Tom, who demands money. She refuses as their mother is ill. When she reaches home she finds that mother has died. At this junction the police arrive and arrest Tom. Later Rita learns from the newspaper that Tom has been sentenced to five years in State prison. Rita gives the furniture to a neighbor, Mrs. Duggan, who had been kind to her mother. With the money that her mother has left her Rita, fulfilling her mother's wish, moves into better quarters, buys new clothes and applies for a position as clerk in a law office, in answer to a newspaper ad. She acknowledges that she knows nothing about typewriting or stenography, but Mr. Trent, the employer, offers to teach her. One day Rita mothers a little lad who has cut his hand in play. He tells her his name is Dick. Later she meets his father, George Christie, who is a widower. Trent tells Rita that he wishes her to dine with him. A few days later she receives an exquisite gown from her employer, who asks if his secretary will not accept it as a token of his esteem and wear it to their little dinner tomorrow night. Rita wears the garment, but refuses the wine which her employer presses her to drink. A few nights later Rita and Mr. Trent have dinner in his apartment. Trent, who is drinking freely, presses her to taste liquor. He promises to marry her, and Rita's thoughts the next day are on their coming marriage. A paralyzing fear overcomes Rita in later days, and she imparts the news to Trent. He casts her aside and she goes to Mrs. Duggan, who now lives in the country. She is received with welcome arms, her baby girl arrives, and is placed in a convent. The following summer, Rita, who is still at the Duggan home, runs across Mr. Christie, who happens to be working on a contract near her home. The result of the meeting is the marriage of the two. They move to Mr. Christie's palatial home, where they are very happy. Trent learns where Rita is living, calls upon her and forces her to introduce him to Mr. Christie. Trent continues to call, and as Rita is repulsing his advance, he remarks, "You weren't always so particular with your kisses." Christie appears, orders Trent from the house, and asks his wife what Trent referred to. Rita says that it was to her past, and that she had tried to explain at the time of their marriage but he would not listen. Christie orders her from the house. Years later Trent, now an advocate of social and political reform, is happily married, while Rita has become a political cat's-paw and lobbyist, prospering under the name of Pauline Barnett. She overhears that if Trent is elected, she will be put out of business. Trent is nominated, and the papers say that his spotless life was one of the decisive factors. Rita, and her brother Tom, who has been released from prison, contrive to defeat his election. He learns that Rita is arrayed against him. Trent confers with his campaign manager, Hal Clement. Rita is notified by the convent that her daughter has completed her education and is prepared to leave. The mother meets her daughter in Hot Springs. Alicia, although chaperoned by a nun, has made the acquaintance of a young man, Dick Christie by name. At luncheon, Hal Clement comes to Mrs. Barnett's (Rita's) table and suggests that she return and remain under his surveillance until after election; that if she refuses he will tell her daughter the story of her life as Rita Castles. So Alicia and her mother go to New York and occupy the apartment provided for their use. Trent is elected. Clement, who has been attracted by Alicia's beauty, has a decoy note sent to Rita that her brother is dying and wishes to see her at once. Rita, leaving Alicia in charge of the maid, hastens to her brother to find when she gets there it is a ruse. When she reaches home she finds Clement attacking her daughter, and kills him. Trent, who is district attorney, is notified that the Barnett woman, who is in the Tombs, has sent word that she wants to see a lawyer. He demands that they be brought before him at once. When Rita and Trent face each other he tells her that he has the upper hand now; that if she doesn't plead guilty at the trial he will uncover enough of her past to prove to the world what she and her daughter really are. To which Rita replies: "Then you will prove that Alicia is not only my daughter but yours." Trent is stunned The mother then goes on that Dick Christie loves Alicia, but with her shame upon her she can never become his wife. And then Rita makes the supreme sacrifice when she says: "Before it is too late, I want yon all to know that Alicia is not my child, but the daughter of a fine, old friend, Mollie Duggan." With that, the mother falls back and in a few minutes is dead.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content