Summaries

Synopsis

Franklin Roberts, ably assisted by his son, Stanton, has built up a large manufacturing business. Mr. Roberts arranges with a friend of the family, a wealthy banker named Vincent Martin, to advance sufficient money to completely rebuild and extend his factories, and to also extend payment of various notes and mortgages which the banker holds. Martin accepts the proposals and confident of success, Roberts proceeds to carry out his schemes. Some months later the work is completed and the shareholders gather to inspect and approve the rebuilt factory. Vincent Martin, at heart a scoundrel and unscrupulous man, chooses this opportune moment to avenge himself for an old grievance which had long since been forgotten and forgiven by Roberts. He calls in his notes and without giving justifiable reasons refuses to meet bills that he promised to back. Broken-hearted, Franklin Roberts seeks oblivion in the river. Just at this time the first child arrives in the home of Stanton Roberts, a little girl. The sad end of the manufacturer causes a sensation in the money market and at a meeting of shareholders and creditors of the firm, the son, Stanton, has to face the fury of the men who have lost heavily through his father's misfortune. He vows to repay all. A few days later, mournful, but determined, Stanton gazes upon the scene of his former triumphs for the last time, bids farewell to his young wife and baby and starts off for distant Africa to rebuild his shattered fortune. Fate turns against him again, however, and the ship sinks in mid-ocean with all on board. The shock kills the wife; her little daughter is adopted by a neighbor, Mrs. Wild. Twenty years pass and one evening Roger Martin, son of the wealthy banker, visits the theater to witness the debut of a pretty and talented dancer, "La Mariquita," who is none other than the daughter of Stanton Roberts. Young Roger Martin is fascinated by the dancer's charms and obtains an introduction through a friend, with the result that a mutual affection springs up. About this time the papers are filled with reports of a rich gold discovery at the Cape. These reports interest the banker, Martin, who is prominent in mining affairs. He commissions a skillful woman, named Maud Sterling, to go to South Africa to make secret inquiries for him, and obtain information which would be difficult for a man to get. Meanwhile La Mariquita and Roger seek every opportunity to meet each other. One day Mrs. Wild receives an anonymous letter containing a photograph warning her of her adopted daughter's meeting with the banker's son and advising her to put a stop to a match which, owing to the young people's different stations in life cannot end happily. Mrs. Wild calls at the banker's house, and a family meeting ends by Roger announcing his intention to stick to La Mariquita. The banker, realizing argument is futile, calls secretly the next day on Mrs. Wild and La Mariquita and offers the former $2,500 if she will promise never to see Roger again. He receives his crumpled check in the face for his pains, but the poor girl, in spite of her love for Roger, realizes that it would be best to flee from such men to forget. They decide to sail for a new land and next day book passage on the "S.S. Portugal" for South Africa. On the same boat Maud Sterling is a passenger. In the gold fields the prospectors eagerly stake their claims. Among them is a stalwart square-jawed man. Alone he sits and reads over his little diary. He calls himself Treberson, but he is none other than Stanton Roberts. Fortune favors him. Maud Sterling is attracted by him, and is the means of getting two roughnecks to steal his horses in order to prevent him from registering his claim and getting his license at the stipulated hour. He manages to outwit them, however, and in spite of his enemies crowding the sheriff's office, by a clever ruse obtains the necessary papers. The next day the horse thieves try to waylay him on his way to take possession of the mine, but again he wins. Maud Sterling now proceeds to seize every opportunity of meeting the wealthy miner. La Mariquita, who is earning her living by dancing, gives a special performance in a saloon at Long Creek. Treberson attends and protects the pretty dancer from some drunken miners. She is very grateful to her rescuer and subsequently tells him the story of her life. Treberson is overjoyed at so strangely finding his lost daughter, but decides it will be best policy not to announce the fact. But alas, he notices that some melancholy secret makes the young girl sad. It is her unhappy love affair, but her father must not know. In honor of his daughter the new mine is named "La Mariquita." Maud Sterling is jealous of the dancer and accuses Treberson of neglecting her since his meeting with that lady. She subsequently persuades one of the horse thieves to commit a cowardly crime. While resting with her foster mother the scoundrel rides by and in cold blood, shoots the defenseless and innocent girl. The dastardly act is witnessed by a friend of Treberson, who gives chase. An exciting melee ensues, and the would-be murderer receives just punishment for his crime. Analysis is taken of the ore of various mines in the district and that of "La Mariquita" proves to be by far the richest. The adjoining mine, the "Eldorado," turns out to be valueless. This mine has been worked and financed for some time by Martin Vincent, the banker. A few days later, to celebrate the recovery from her injuries, Treberson announces a remarkable firework display. The golden soil of the ''La Mariquita" mine is to be broken by a terrific dynamite explosion. Crowds gather and witness the unusual sight of thousands of tons of rock and earth being hurled into the air. In Paris some time later, Treberson, with his daughter, visits scenes of his former life, unrecognized. For twenty years he has been harboring his vengeance, and one day posing as a friend, phones up the banker, Martin, and suggests that he might like to meet the now famous Treberson, the mining magnate. Martin, who is deeply involved in mining stock, arranges to meet him the next day. Treberson disguises himself with a beard, and is not recognized by the banker, who invites him to his house. La Mariquita attends and again meets her old lover, Roger. The pent up wrath of twenty years cannot be kept back longer by Treberson. In a private room he reveals his identity and taking his enemy in a grip of steel forces the trembling coward to his knees, at the same time telling him that his African mines are worthless. Producing a revolver, Treberson suggests that the now ruined man should do one honest act in his miserable existence by taking his own life. Just at this moment Roger Martin breaks into the room and dashes between his father and Treberson. La Mariquita, who has been fearful of something dreadful happening, now arrives on the scene and tells her father of her love for Roger. The young man has plenty of grit and tells his father he has not lost courage, but will work and repay his creditors, and try to atone for his father's misdeeds. Treberson, at heart a kind man, is greatly impressed by the young man's courage and forgives the banker, afterward consenting to the marriage between his daughter and the banker's son.