The Window of Dreams (1916)
May Cameron had intended to devote her life to becoming a great musician. But she met Jack and ambition was drowned by love. She was of a jealous disposition, and at first Jack laughed at her attitude. Then there were delightful lovers' quarrels and still more delightful peacemakings, but it hurt Jack more than he admitted that she did not trust him. "I'm afraid of losing my joy," she said, "I wish I could imprison it, so I could be sure it would never escape." This saying of hers gave Jack an idea. He bought a golden canary that sang like happiness incarnated, and with the help of Martha, the janitress, he smuggled it into her apartment. Then he wrote a note, saying that the bird's name was "Joy," and May could always keep him safe in his cage. But he knocked the door of the cage open, and Joy escaped from his cage. They had quite a time catching him. Then Jack locked him up and hurried away to keep his appointment with May. She had been spending the afternoon walking in the woods and was waiting for him at their accustomed meeting place. When he was late, she became impatient and as the time passed, angry and suspicious. When Jack arrived at last and refused to tell what kept him, for he wanted to keep "Joy" as a surprise; May became suspicious and a quarrel ensued. Jack, provoked, declared that if May really loved him she would trust him. May was hurt and would not speak to Jack, so he went tramping up the hill to walk off his ill temper. He never noticed men getting the fuses ready for the blast, and as he went on by them they did not warn him. But when they came down the hill to warn May she called to Jack, and she saw him up above the danger line, and gestured to him to stay there until after the explosion. But to the lover the waving meant nothing more than that May was penitent and wanted him, and he hurried towards her, towards the place where the flame had just come to the end of the fuse. There was an explosion and when the smoke cleared away May crawled toward the still form and called Jack wildly. But it was no use in ever calling his name again, for he could not answer. May was crippled for life by the accident. She sat in a wheelchair, and all day long she stared across the court at the vacant window, where she used to see Jack, smiling over at her. Then one day the apartment across the court became tenanted by Bob and Sue, a newly married couple. One day months later May saw Sue bending over some sewing and handling with reverent joy a half-crocheted bootee. May then got out her wedding dress and Martha was delighted to see the invalid take such an interest in making a baby dress out of the dainty white gown she intended wearing as a bride. But troubles came to the little home across the court. Bob lost his position, and he did not want to tell Sue for fear of worrying her. So when she asked him for money to buy a wonderful christening robe, she had seen advertised, he had to refuse her, and he would not tell her why. Bob looked in vain for work, and when he came home later and later every night and was more and more abstracted. Sue began to wonder perhaps there was someone else? And then one day, when Bob was very late and Sue had retired to her bedroom in tears, May saw him come in and sit down at the window to read a letter. Sue saw, too, as she peeked through the crack of the bedroom door, and her suspicion became almost a certainty. She came out and demanded the letter. He refused, for it was about his position and would have told her the secret he was trying to keep from her. And across the court May grieved when she saw the quarrel. Then a little gust of wind came and snatched the letter from Bob's hands and carried it across the court and deposited it in May's lap, just as Bob turned from the window and went away with bowed head. May looked at the letter and the light of understanding burst into her face. She called across the court to the young wife, and Sue went over. May showed her the letter, and in a moment Sue was a contrite wife who beckoned across the court for Bob to come over, too. Then May told them that they must allow her to lend them the money to tide them over their difficulties until the husband could get another position. At first he refused, but she had an unanswerable argument. She reached into her sewing basket and pulled out a beautiful christening robe, which she had been working on, and Sue received it with grateful eyes. They went away happily and May took up her violin with a great peace in her, the peace that comes in soothing the hearts of others, the Joy that is the aftermath of Sorrow.
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GenresDrama
Short
IMDbPro
See more details at IMDbPro
| Filmmakers | Role |
|---|---|
| Howard M. Mitchell | Director |
| Agnes Christine Johnston | Writer |
| Edwin Thanhouser | Producer |
| Cast | Role |
|---|---|
| Grace DeCarlton | |
| Bert Delaney | |
| Clifford Grey | |
| Betty Lawson |
