| Plot Summary |
By the terms of the will of Louis Perier, he has left his fortune of $2,000,000 in charge of Joseph Irton, notary, to be given to the daughter of his brother, John Perier. It is stipulated that if Mr. Irton is unable to find the niece within two months from twelve o'clock noon from the day set, that the estate is to revert to his housekeeper. An unscrupulous woman, this housekeeper determines to get the money. She writes to her brother in Paris, and tells him to find and kidnap the girl before the notary will have arrived. Mme. Riquier's brother finds that Nellie Perier is a milliner. When the brother's sister arrives in Paris, she assumes a fictitious name, Mme. Gomery. She and her brother abduct Nellie as she is delivering the hat Mme. Gomery ordered. In the meantime, Jean Rogers, Nellie's fiancée, puts in an appearance at the milliner's store to show her a newspaper article concerning herself. He finds her gone and rushes to the hotel where Mme. Gomery lives. There he learns of the abduction. Nellie, meanwhile, is being conveyed to an island, guarded by Riquier's men. Many days pass and Nellie is still a prisoner. She determines to escape. One night with an improvised rope made of bed-clothes, she descends the dizzy heights. Her escape is discovered, and one of the jailers goes forth to bring her down with his gun. As she attempts to enter a rowboat he shoots. Nellie pretends that she has been shot and drops as if unconscious. The jailer carries the seemingly insensible girl to the top of the cliff. Here Nellie unexpectedly revives and by a dexterous twist she pushes him over the cliff. Nellie is seen struggling for life in the breakers off the coast of St. Elmo. In Paris, Jean Rogers is aiding in the search. He chances to read a newspaper story about a girl having been found clinging to the bottom of an overturned boat. It tells of her being demented and of her inability to recall her name or anything about herself. The Riquiers also read the news. They had heard of the escape of their captive. They go to the castle of St. Elmo and falsely identify the girl as being one of their kin. The physician in charge gives the Riquiers permission to take the girl away. The Riquiers are about to carry her off to another prison when Rogers sees them riding away. He pursues the automobile and clings to the back of it. As a ruse, he takes a revolver and shoots. Its report is similar to the bursting of a pneumatic tire. The conspirators get out to investigate, leaving Nellie in the back seat. As they go 'round one side Rogers goes 'round the other. He jumps into the automobile and speeds away, leaving the conspirators in the lurch. The Riquiers telephone to the police and ask that their automobile be stopped. Rogers chances to enter an exhibition ground in which there is to be a balloon ascension. He knows that the Riquiers must be close upon him, and that his only means of escape is to go aloft. He persuades the aeronaut to allow him and Nellie, whom the shock of seeing her sweetheart has restored to reason, into accompanying him on his flight. The Riquiers arrive just as the balloon is soaring high. They determine to have one more try. They pursue the balloon, which is carried by the wind out to sea. Standing on the rocks, Mme. Riquier's brother fires his revolver at the vast gas bag. It penetrates the fragile silk and the balloon slowly sinks into the sea. As the gas escapes the balloonists are thrown into the waves, which happily carry them behind a small promontory out of sight of the conspirators. The fugitives struggle to land and the empty basket drifts away. The conspirators see it and construe it as a sign that its late occupants have gone to the bottom. On the morning of the appointed day Anna Riquier calls on the notary. There is but five minutes more before twelve o'clock, noon, will have arrived, and she will have inherited the legacy. Meanwhile on the road to the notary's house, the two weary lovers trudge along. As they pass a police station they ask assistance. They arrive just two minutes before the moment of twelve. Nellie goes ahead. At the door on guard, fearful that Nellie should arrive at the last moment and claim the fortune, stands Riquier. He sees Nellie and attempts to throttle her. There are rough hands upon him the next moment, and Jean Roger's fists are pummeling him. It is one second before twelve when Nellie bursts into the notary's room, just as he is about to deliver the money to Anna Riquier. Nellie is identified, the conspirators are arrested and are led away to condign punishment.
Written by Moving Picture World synopsis
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