| Plot Summary |
Newtown. Connecticut, is a typical New England village, one short block of business buildings constitutes its commercial activity. In the center of the block stands the Newtown Bank, and our story deals with two bank clerks, Roy Edmond and Jack Thornton, the sons of neighboring farmers. Roy is honest, upright and God-fearing, but Jack while away at college has forgotten his Puritan training and acquired dissolute habits and expensive tastes. His meager salary no longer suffices, and he awaits the opportunity to despoil the bank of which he is a trusted employee. Roy and Jack are both in love with the village belle, but Roy is the favored one. It is the night before Thanksgiving and the annual ball, the local social event of the year, is advertised. We see the rivals meet pretty Mary in front of the billboard, and they both ask her for the pleasure of her company to the ball. She grants the favor to Roy, who is elated, while Jack shows big chagrin. A busy bank scene is next shown. Jack, on the alert, sees that Roy has left the door to his wired-in desk open, and screened, as he thinks, from all eyes. Our next scene occurs on the evening of the ball. As the last couple enters Jack sneaks back and places the stolen bonds in Roy's overcoat pocket, and is again seen by the worthless janitor. The shortage has been discovered at the bank, and while the ball is at its height the bank president enters with the sheriff, and the missing bonds found in Roy's pocket. Bewildered, Roy makes a sudden break for liberty and dashes out the front door, into the sheriff's buggy and escapes. Eight months pass and we find the boy an outcast, discouraged and disheartened, living in poverty in New York, where he is found by his father and absolved by the dying confession of his enemy.
Written by Moving Picture World synopsis
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