| Plot Summary |
Abner Stebbins, Martin's crony, has a daughter, Helen, whom he wishes to marry to the bank clerk. Richard Willis, who is a "swell dresser," but addicted to the use of alcoholic beverages, unknown to Abner. Abner's clerk, Harry Matson, and Helen are simply "made for each other" and Helen does not take to the idea of tying up with the bank clerk as she knows some of his bad habits Abner, however, can't see things that way and insists that she marry him. He also takes occasion to "bawl" Harry out for daring to think of marrying his daughter. The two youthful lovers seek out their mutual friend, Martin Lowe, and find him engrossed in a very interesting magazine story. He puts his book aside and they pour their tale of woe into his sympathetic ears. He agrees with them and promises to use his utmost efforts in bringing the girl's father to their way of thinking. Martin finds his old friend engrossed in a magazine story and eating peanuts "by the peck." He is welcomed in and offered some of the "fruit." Martin tactfully tries to talk Stebbins into letting the two youngsters have their way, but in vain. At last, desperate, he tells Abner of a seemingly true story wherein a father forces his daughter to marry a man of his own choice, who turns out to be a drunkard and abuses his wife shamefully. Both old men are touched by the story and wipe the tears away. Just as the story is finished, Willis comes in with a "jag" on. They tell him he has been drinking and he indignantly disavows the charge and leaves. The two lovers some along and give him the merry ha! ha! which insults his dignity more. The two lovers come into the office to learn their fate, and so diplomatic has been the work of "the fixer" that her father grudgingly agrees to the match. Martin then takes out the two to a celebration at the soda fountain. Stebbins, although he appears to have been taken in by Martin's story, is not so dense as he appeared and, slyly going to Martin's room, finds the identical magazine he had been reading telling the story that Martin claimed as his own. In a spirit of fun he marks across the page the word "plagiarist" and, Martin, coming home from his celebration with the two lovers, finds the book. His poor old brain whirls when he tries to figure out the word. As the story closes the old man is seen painfully searching out the word in the dictionary.
Written by Moving Picture World synopsis
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