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- In the magnificent grounds surrounding her home in Normandy, Charlotte Corday and Barbaroux are happy in their love-making, unwarned of the stormy events that fate has decreed should end their dreams. Marat, the leader of the French revolutionists, having plotted the death of the King, arrives at the home of Charlotte. Her beauty attracts his fancy, and finding her in love with Barbaroux, he tells them of his plans for the wholesale slaughter of the French nobility, and by cleverly insinuating that both Charlotte and her lover may be included in the list of those to be executed unless they embrace the cause of the revolution, he succeeds in inducing Barbaroux to accompany him to Paris. A year later, the revolution is at its height. The aristocrats are being brought to the guillotine by the thousands, and Barbaroux, expressing his disgust of outrages committed by Marat, is overheard by Danton, who betrays him to Marat. Barbaroux, hearing that Marat has ordered his arrest, escapes under a mass of rubbish in a cart, and is pursued by the soldiers. Charlotte, in reading her Bible, feels called upon by a Divine command to do something to restore peace to unhappy France, and sets out for Paris; on the road she is attacked by a mob of peasants. Later she meets the cart in which Barbaroux is escaping just as it breaks down, and Barbaroux emerges from hiding under the rubbish. They are clasped in an embrace as Marat's soldiers arrive and take Barbaroux a prisoner. Marat, hearing that Charlotte was seen on the road, orders the soldiers to find her, but she avoids them, and later while addressing the multitude from his balcony, Marat sees Charlotte in the crowd. Fearing to point her out lest the mob mistake it for an order to do her harm, he stops his speech and hastens down to get her himself, but she has disappeared. Charlotte, witnessing the guillotine, is horrified. She writes a note to Barbaroux, telling him of her determination to do a big deed to help restore peace. She allows the prison guard to kiss her in exchange for a promise to deliver the note to her love, and Marat, arriving a moment later, takes the note from the guard's hand, and discovering it is from Charlotte, goes to Barbaroux's cell and promises him his liberty if he will tell where Charlotte can be found. Barbaroux, unable to give the information, is brutally beaten. Marat, feeling, that the purpose mentioned in Charlotte's note is a vengeance about to fall upon him, is terror stricken, and in his panic is confronted by the vision of the people he has executed. The next day, Charlotte goes to Marat's house. Marat signs two orders, one for the immediate release and one for the immediate execution of Barbaroux. Showing them to Charlotte, he tells her she is the price of the one for his release. Charlotte pretends to agree to his terms, and Marat, after destroying the death warrant, calls upon Charlotte to embrace him, which she does, and at the same time kills him with a dagger which she had concealed under her cloak. Danton entering at that moment arrests Charlotte, and finds the order of release. Barbaroux is set free. Believing her mission fulfilled and that in causing the death of one man she had saved the lives of thousands. Charlotte mounts the scaffold and gives up her life that quiet may again reign in France.
- The picture opens with Lord Allen Ravenswood, and his only son, Edgar, living in the ruined tower of Wolf's Crag, close by the boundary of their estate. They are awaiting the action of the Privy Council in their suit against Sir William Ashton to regain Ravenswood Castle, their rightful home. Word comes that the action has been decided against them, and Lord Allen Ravenswood dies, swearing vengeance against Sir William Ashton and his family. His son. Edgar, now Lord Ravenswood, reiterates his father's oath, and swears eternal enmity to the House of Ashton. Lucy, the daughter of Sir William Ashton, while walking with her father in the Ravenswood estate, visits Alice, an old retainer of the Ravenswood family. The old woman cautions her against the vengeance of the Ravenswoods, saying that they never forget. Returning to the castle, they are attacked by robbers. The attack is witnessed by Lord Ravenswood, whose heroic and prompt action disperses the highwaymen, thereby saving Sir William Ashton and Lucy from the miscreants. Edgar revives Lucy, and as they look into each other's eyes, they realize that they love. Sir William Ashton tries to thank Edgar, not knowing who he is, but Edgar refuses his thanks, asserting that he is Edgar, Lord Ravenswood. Edgar's heroism, however, inspires Sir William Ashton with a friendly feeling toward him, and thus the first part of the production closes. A week elapses between the first and second part, and we again see Lucy and her father walking in the estate of Ravenswood Castle. They are overtaken by a storm, and are compelled to seek shelter in Wolf's Crag, the present home of Edgar. During this meeting, the admiration of Sir William Ashton and the love of his daughter for Edgar is increased greatly. They accept Edgar's hospitality for the night. The next morning. Lucy and her father accompanied by Edgar, leave Wolf's Crag for Ravenswood Castle. An old servant of Edgar's reminds him of the family legend of the Ravenswood. Edgar laughs off the old man's warning, however, and goes with Sir William Ashton and his daughter to Ravenswood Castle. Prior to their arrival, Lady Ashton, Lucy's mother, has promised the hand of her daughter to Buckland. Lord Carrington, a noble of wealth, whose position and money appeal to the avaricious Lady Ashton. Upon the arrival of Lucy, her father and Edgar at the castle, she is very much angered at her daughter's association with Edgar, whom she terms a "beggarly Jacobite," and orders him from the estate. She then informs Lucy and her father of her promise to Lord Carrington. Prior to Edgar's departure from Ravenswood Castle, he writes Lucy a note, informing her that he is about to depart for London to plead his cause before the House of Lords. He begs her to be true to him until his return, and she answers his letter, saying that she will be true. The second part of the play ends with Lucy sitting at the window, awaiting the return of her love. Three months elapse between the second and third part of the production. Sir William Ashton receives word that the House of Lords has decided against him, and that Ravenswood Castle rightfully belongs to Edgar. Lady Ashton is now even more anxious to marry her daughter to Lord Carrington, and enters into a plot with one of the servants to keep Lucy from sending any letters to Edgar, or from receiving any from him. In this she is successful, and Lucy is led to believe that Edgar is untrue to her; she is heart-broken. It is then an easy task for Lady Ashton to coerce her into a marriage with Lord Carrington, Just as the forced ceremony is at an end, and as friends are congratulating the heart-broken bride, the doors are thrown open, and Edgar pushes his way in. Lucy starts to rush into his arms, but is held back by Lord Carrington, and as Edgar realizes that in winning back his estate he has lost all that is dear to him in the world. He throws his glove in Lord Carrington's face, and rushes from the castle. Lucy collapses and is carried to her boudoir by Lord Carrington, where he revives her. As she again regains consciousness, she realizes the terrible wrong that has been done her, and overcome by anger and remorse falls dead. The third and last part of this picture ends with Edgar, Lord Ravenswood, bidding good-bye to his steed and to his sword, walking into the Kelpie's Flow, where we see him engulfed by the quicksands that are ever ready for a victim.
- Silas Croft, an Englishman, has taken up farming in South Africa and has been unusually successful. His sister in England, ill, widowed, and left with two little girls, Jess and Bess, starts for South Africa to make her home with him. The sister, however, is stricken with death just after landing from the steamer and the two little girls are sent on to the brother. Jess is the older of the two children and when the mother dies she entrusts the care and happiness of the younger child to the sister, scarcely older. Gladly received and tenderly reared by their uncle, Silas Croft, the girls grow to beautiful and gracious young womanhood on his farm. Sixteen years after their arrival in South Africa, John Neil, a young Englishman who has been an army officer, comes from England to learn South Africa farming and selects Silas Croft as his schoolmaster. Both Jess and Bess fall in love with John Neil. Neil really loves Jess, but she, believing herself bound by the promise given her dead mother, makes John thing she cares nothing for him and goes on a visit to Pretoria, then the principal city of South Africa, so that John may forget her and turn to Bess. Shortly after the departure of Bess for Pretoria occurs the first revolution of the Boers against the British Government. Bess has an admirer, Frank Mueller, a wealthy and influential Boer, whom she hates and fears. Mueller knows that Bess is in love with John and plans to get rid of him. Pretoria, held by the English, is surrounded by Boer troops and Mueller, now a high officer of the Boer Army, writes to Jess that her uncle is ill and needs her. John Neil has gone to Pretoria and Mueller is sure that he will accompany Jess on the trip home. Mueller sends a pass and two of his men to act as an escort. Jess and Neil start, but once outside of the British lines, they are taken captive by Mueller, who laughs at the way they have fallen into his simple trap. Mueller attempts to kill both, but both escape. While in danger Jess has confessed her love for John. Now upon the screen is shown the fighting which took place around Pretoria. For week after week the Boers besieged and the British defended the city. The fighting is shown with strict regard for historical accuracy. In 1877 the Transvaal was annexed to Great Britain and in December, of 1880, occurred the rising of the Boers. This was rather an internecine war than a rebellion. Many Boers took the side of England and not a few Englishmen fought on the side of the Boers. The fighting, for the most part, was done by volunteers on both sides, men without uniforms and with but little discipline, but trained to the use of arms since childhood and inured to hardship. At Majuba Hill the English regular soldiers met with a crushing defeat at the hands of the Boers, and in March, of 1881, a treaty was concluded which left the Boers practically independent. Failing in his plan to kill John Neil, Mueller captures Silas Croft and gives Bess the alternative of seeing her uncle die or of marrying him. She chooses to save her uncle, but before the marriage is performed Jess surprises Mueller, while he is asleep, and stabs him to death, releasing her uncle and Bess. Flying, Jess rejoins John in a cave near the farm. John is asleep when she returns to him and does not awaken until morning and when he does awake Jess is dead of exhaustion. The British troops arrive, saving Bess and her uncle and John Neil as well. Bess and John are married and return to England. The drama closes with a view of the English home of the Neil's, which is all happiness, but in a tableau it is shown that no matter what comes, Jess will never be forgotten by either her sister, to whom she gave all, or by John Neil, who loved her very truly.
- The story opens with Mary Magdalene as a notorious courtesan of Caperneum. She has two principal lovers, Syrius Superbus (a Roman, living in Caperneum, who is married to Portia, a follower of Christ), and Judas Iscariot. Canis Proculus, a Roman noble, coming to visit Syrius, meets Mary at one of her bacchanalian orgies on her roof top and falls in love with her. She returns his affection and casts aside both Judas and Syrius, who turn their hatred on Canis as the result. After a week of happiness, one day when Canis is away. Mary Magdalene sees Christ and is overcome by his magnetism. Influenced by Portia she decides to forsake her sinful life and follows Christ. In the meantime, Canis has told Syrius that he wishes to marry Mary, and Syrius determines to prevent this at any cost. Judas finds that Mary is following Christ to Jerusalem, so he and Syrius decide to go with them without proclaiming their identity, and Syrins writes a letter to Canis, telling him that Mary is unfaithful and has gone away with him (Syrius). One day, Mary looking out her window, sees Canis arrive at Jerusalem and he sees her; they meet, but she tells him she can never become his wife until he believes in Christ. Judas and Syrius, angered at Mary's repeated rejections of their overtures, and believing that this is due to a material love they fancy she has for Christ (instead of a spiritual love) determine to betray the Master. They obtain a warrant from Pilate, find Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, and with Caiaphas, the High Priest, succeed in arresting Him, Mary hears of this and rushes to the barracks, warns Canis, who comes out with his soldiers to stop the outrages. Seeing the warrant of Pilate for Christ's arrest, Canis realizes that force is useless and decides to appeal to Pilate, who is his friend. Pilate promises to do what he can to save the Master and Canis returns to Mary, only to find she has left the house. While sitting waiting for her, a spiritual voice comes to him, which seems to be the voice of Christ, and which says, "Seek for Mary in the Garden of Gethsemane." He rushes out and gathering a body of soldiers makes his way as quickly as possible to the garden. In the meantime Mary has gone to the garden to assuage her grief and has been found there by Syrius, who tries to persuade her to run away with him on condition of his trying to save the Master. Mary refuses and Syrius angered beyond measure urges the crowd to attack her as a follower of the Nazarene. Just as they are about to tear her to pieces, Canis rushes in with his men and tearing Syrius's sword from his hands, kills the latter with it. He then tells Mary that he believes that Christ had led him to her and that he now believes in Him. Protected by the soldiers, he leads Mary away. The story ends with a short vision of the hanging of Judas, and the progress of Canis and Mary up the hill of Calvarv, with the three crosses showing on the top of the hills.
- Elsie Venner is a posthumous child that is infected with the venom of the snake that killed her mother previous to the birth of Elsie. She is beautiful in appearance, except for the blemish of a birthmark resembling the bite of a snake, which is kept concealed by a heavy gold chain about her neck. In fits of temper which occur upon the slightest provocation, the characteristic rage of the deadly reptile is plainly evident. Her every action is suggestive of the movements of the serpent, and she subconsciously exerts the hypnotic influence of the rattlesnake, whose nature has become part of her own. Dick Venner, her cousin, is madly in love with Elsie and is insanely jealous of Barnard Langdon, the young school master, for whom Elsie shows a decided preference. Elsie comes upon Langdon sitting in the woods and discovers a snake, coiled and ready to strike him. She hypnotizes it, and saves his life. Dick threatens to kill Langdon if he does not cease his attentions to Elsie, and plots with Arabella Brown, with whom he is carrying on a clandestine love affair, to discredit Langdon. Langdon confides in Doctor Kittredge, the Venner family physician, telling him of his love for Elsie and of the strange influence she has over him. Doctor Kittredge, realizing that the secret must now be divulged, tells Langdon of Elsie's half serpent nature and advises against marriage. Langdon refuses to be dissuaded and the doctor hurries to Mr. Venner with a powerful but dangerous antidote, that he believes will cure Elsie, but may prove fatal. He explains to Mr. Venner that the time has come when a desperate chance must be taken, and informs him that for safety sake, he has labeled the bottle "Poison." Mr. Venner, hesitating to take so serious a step, places the bottle on the mantle shelf. Langdon, disregarding the advice of the doctor, proposes marriage to Elsie and is accepted. Elsie in her joy tells of her happiness to the old negress, who was her mother's maid. The faithful old servant, fearful of the results of a marriage, tell Elsie of the circumstance of her mother's death, and the effect it has had on her, and advises her never to marry. Elsie, feeling that the old servant has attempted to rob her of her happiness, goes into one of her wild rages and drives the old negress from the room. She finds the bottle labeled "Poison.'' and conceals it in her dress, determined to take it, if anything prevented her marriage to Langdon. On his way through the woods to visit Elsie, Langdon is intercepted by Arabella, who at a signal from Dick, throws her arms about Langdon's neck, just as Elsie arrives, having been told by Dick that Langdon was waiting there. Believing her lover unfaithful, Elsie rushes off into the thickest part of the woods, and drinks the contents of the bottle. After an all night search she is found by her father, the doctor and Langdon. The doctor, finding the empty bottle, removes the gold cord from her neck, and discovering that the birthmark has disappeared, announces that she has been cured, just as Elsie recovers consciousness and is folded in the arms of her lover.