The Day of Reckoning (1914)
The Civil War was at its height. Donald and James Lorne were step-brothers. Donald, the elder, loved Dolly, the rich ward of his step-mother, but Mrs. Lorne was very anxious that her own son, James, should win the hand of the wealthy orphan. To bring this about, she arranged to send her step-son away. But the lovers frustrated her. Dolly and Donald were secretly married before he departed. The girl's guardian intercepted Donald's letters, and not aware that her ward was already married, made her a prisoner in her room in her efforts to force the girl to marry James. Donald, sorely worried at his wife's strange silence, returned unexpectedly. In answer to his demands to see Dolly he was told that she loved him no longer, and had pledged herself to his step-brother. Wishing for nothing but Dolly's happiness. Donald, with heavy heart, took James' place in the army, hoping to be killed and thus free Dolly so that she might wed the man of her choice. Dolly, still held a prisoner in her room, heard that her husband had returned, but was now gone to the war. She escaped and followed him to the training camp, only to find him gone. She was overcome with grief and fell unconscious. The minister who had married her was at the camp, and had her removed to a neighboring house. Mrs. Lorne and her son followed the girl, and found her dead, and a new-born infant in the doctor's arms. James, in order to get into his own, hands the dead mother's fortune claimed the child as his own and disappeared. Donald, at the front, was fighting in the armies of his country, in ignorance of the tragic fate of the woman he loved, and of the birth of his child. One night, while pacing the sentry line, he beheld a vision of Dolly. The specter lured him far from his post. He was found wandering about, and was arrested for desertion in the face of the enemy. At the court martial he was still so dazed that instead of making a satisfactory explanation he incriminated himself by his incoherent replies. He was sentenced to be shot at sunrise. However, a comrade who knew the circumstances saved his life. He returned to his native village. Here he met a Captain Walling who told him the true story of Dolly. Walling was later arrested for treason. He turned State's evidence, confessing that in partnership with James Lorne he had robbed the government on false contracts of fabulous amounts, and accused Lorne of double-crossing him. The U.S. Secret Service at once took up the trail of his accomplice. Twenty years rolled by. James had gone west, where he was leading a double life. With him lived Dolly's baby, now grown to young womanhood, and bearing her mother's name. She supposed that James was her father. In the hills near James' ranch, a mysterious shepherd lived a life of solitude. Old before his time, sad, gentle and kind, he exerted a strange influence over the impressionable girl, who often sought his company, and confided in him her troubles and innocent secrets. The false-hearted James recognized the shepherd as Don and planned by accusing him of stealing all the cattle that had been missed, to have him strung up by the outraged ranchmen. An Indian girl who had been wronged by James and cast off overheard the plot. She told Dolly, who rode to warn her friend. She reached the shepherd's hut just as the cowpunchers were about to lynch him. She begged for time, swearing that she could prove the shepherd's innocence. The men, respecting her word, left her with the hermit. In tears she told him that her father had forbidden her to see him again. As she was leaving she accidentally dropped her locket. The shepherd found and opened it. He was dumbfounded. It contained the picture of his wife, the Dolly of the past. The girl, discovering her loss, returned. He asked who the picture represented. "It is my mother," replied Dolly. "She died when I was born." Without telling her that she was his daughter, he went to his step-brother to claim her. During the controversy that followed matters took an unexpected turn. Walling, now a secret service agent, appeared on the scene. After twenty years of searching he had found his man. As he was about to place the handcuffs on his prisoner, an interruption occurred. An Indian chief, leading a girl of his people, confronted James. The guilty wretch, in desperation, broke away from his captors and fled. But the day of reckoning had arrived. The red-skinned maiden sighted him fleeing across the edge of a cliff. Seizing a rifle she fired. Horse and rider fell to death. The gentle shepherd advanced to the girl's side. As he drew her to his bosom, he pointed to the faded face looking sadly at him from the locket. "The mystery of my love for you is explained," he said, "Dolly, you are my own flesh and blood. The woman of the locket was your mother and my wife."
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GenresDrama
Short
IMDbPro
See more details at IMDbPro
| Filmmakers | Role |
|---|---|
| J. Arthur Nelson | Director |
