The Heart of a Soldier (1912)
In the twilight of his life, John Menton, an old veteran, finds himself alone and destitute. In desperation he turns to the statue of his old commander, General Grant, then to that of President Lincoln, hoping in vain that one or the other might offer an inspiration, hut in both cases the marble statues look upon his misery in mute silence. Disconsolate, he wanders down the avenue in quest of aid. At the Revere mansion he pitifully begs for alms from the wealthy owners, who are about to enter their automobile. His plea is to be refused by this man of means, when Bob Lucas, the young suitor of Ruth Revere, moved by the old man's evident want, offers him substantial alms, which incurs for Lucas the animosity of Mrs. Revere. On the return of the parents, young Lucas makes a strong appeal for the hand of the daughter, but his suit is refused and he dejectedly leaves the house. In due course, a locket of the madam is missing and she recalls having placed it on the library table at the time of her talk with Bob Lucas. All search proves unavailing and she summons Lucas by telephone and on his arrival, brazenly accuses him of having stolen the locket. His earnest and strong assurance of any knowledge concerning the loss is totally disregarded. Sorrowful and dejected, he wanders away to grieve over the multitude of catastrophes that have befallen him. In the meantime, the missing locket, which accidentally fell into the waste basket, passes along the route to the city dumps. Through force of circumstances the old veteran has hied himself to that quarter as was his custom when in dire distress, to seek in the refuse of the city something that might be of value. Lo, and behold, this trip is not unrewarded. Debating with himself the course to pursue, he finds a seat in the park, where the fates fortunately guided the heart-sick lover. Recognition is mutual, but what service can the old soldier render our friend? The newly found token of wealth is uppermost in the soldier's heart and he tells his former benefactor of his lucky find. Young Lucas looks, then stares at the locket, he scarcely can believe his eyes. Is he awake or are the fates taunting him? He tells the old soldier of the cloud resting over him, and together the two hurry to the Reveres, where joy over the recovery knows no bounds. Old Revere liberally rewards the needy old veteran and young Lucas could almost mortgage his future prospects to pay the good fortune this vindication means to him. The heart of Mrs. Revere is softened, the barriers are broken down and Bob Lucas is to have the hand of Ruth for his keeping for life. The old veteran slowly repairs to the statue of President Lincoln, his heart too full for utterance. The shock of this unexpected joy is too great and at the base of the statue his frail stature falters and his soul passes on to join the army in the great beyond.
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| Filmmakers | Role |
|---|---|
| Allan Dwan | Director |
| Cast | Role |
|---|---|
| William A. Morse | |
| Mina Carlton | |
| Randolph Grey |
