Courting Betty's Beau (1914)

If one happens to be young, pretty and attractive, an elder sister is not always absolutely imperative to one's happiness. For, in the best regulated families, it is considered a matter of considerable importance that the daughters should enter into the holy state of matrimony in the order of their seniority. Hence, an unmarried elder sister is sometimes a source of bitter tears to her junior, who is obliged to wear short dresses and go to children's parties, when her whole inclination is to capture a young man for herself. If one elder sister is unfortunate, it may readily be imagined what it would mean to have three. That was the case with Betty. She was, by all odds, the prettiest in the family, but as she was also the youngest in the family, she was generally regarded as a mere infant. Thus, one morning, when Betty twisted her ankle, and a young man picked her up and carried her home in his automobile, none of the sisters would have believed for a moment that any romance could result, so far as Betty was concerned. To be sure, the young man called the very next day, but the older sisters assumed quite naturally that he was calling on them, and monopolized him to such an extent that he could not get a word in edgewise with Betty. Every time he called, the same thing happened. His arrival at the house was a signal for a general rush in his direction by three girls he had no interest in at all. One day he sent Betty a note advising her of the fact that he intended calling on her that afternoon, and that he could probably survive the disappointment if she could manage to get rid of her sisters. The sisters intercepted the note, sent Betty away on an errand, and going into the kitchen, started preparing dainties for Jack. The dainties were not an entire success because each sister endeavored to help her own cause by covertly putting vinegar, pepper or salt in the preparations of the other two. Jack tasted the awful results, and fled. A little later he met Betty. They bought a lot of groceries, stole quietly into the kitchen, and prepared a Lusullian banquet for themselves. The sisters found them, and decided that the only thing left was a graceful surrender. So they went away and left Betty with her beau.

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Summary Details
Running Time8 min
GenresComedy Short