In the Garden (1913)

Old Mr. Stevens finds a lover, at a dance, sulking because his sweetheart is kind to other men. To prevent two lives from being spoiled by misunderstanding the old man tells the indignant swain the story of his own lost love. In 1860, Stevens, a gallant young Southerner, was deeply in love with a girl, Julia. One evening, at a dance, the charming Julia seemed to her jealous lover to be accepting too many attentions from the young beaux of the company. With a Southerner's characteristic impetuosity Stevens bitterly reproached her for her fickleness and turning on his heel left her. That very night Stevens enlisted in a Confederate regiment. Next day, as the troops marched out of town, Julia stretched out her hands pleadingly to her stern lover, but he ignored her and left her without even a smile of farewell. We are not all made of the stern stuff that can wait and wait without hope, and that was why Julia grew paler as the days went by, why her blue eyes became deep somber wells of sadness. Stevens at last came home to find that he, like a better man, "threw a pearl away richer than all his tribe." For Julia wept no more; she was dead. As the old man finishes his story the young man's sweetheart appears, radiant and lovable in her youth and beauty. It appears that it is the last dance, and she has saved it for her lover. With a hesitating look at the poor old man, the lover takes his sweetheart's hand and they go out together, while old Mr. Stevens looks after them, sighs, and then slowly turns away.

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Summary Details
GenresDrama Short
FilmmakersRole
George Lessey Director
William Brede Writer
CastRole
Augustus Phillips
Gertrude McCoy
Richard Tucker
May Abbey