The Bachelor's Wife (1909)

A young man who has always obtained money from his doting uncle, with which to satisfy his debtors, finds his debts accumulating so rapidly that, in order to gain the desired amounts, he writes his uncle, first that he is married; next that he has a child, and finally that he must have more money for clothes for them both. The uncle, becoming suspicious, writes his nephew that he will call and visit him and his family. The nephew, on receipt of this letter, becomes frantic, knowing that he must produce a wife and child, or his uncle will cut him off because of his deceit. He rushes into the street and asks the first woman he meets to be his wife for a day, and promptly has his face slapped. He tries this several times with the same result, until he meets a slavey scrubbing a stoop. She consents, and after buying her a handsome gown and decking her out, he gets her to his quarters after many mishaps, just in time for the uncle's arrival. The uncle, surprised at her antics at dinner, demands to see the child. The nephew rushes to the janitor and giving him some money tells him to get him a baby immediately and he will give him more money. The janitor rushes out, and after trying unsuccessfully to steal two babies, he at last spies a baby alone in a carriage, grabs the child and rushes to the nephew with it. As he bursts into the rooms with the baby, which has a heavy veil over its face, the nephew grabs the child and proudly hands it to his uncle. The denouement is reached when the uncle, lifting the veil, discovers a negro baby. The mother of the child, a big negress, enters in a rage, seizes the child and puts all to flight.

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Summary Details
GenresComedy Short