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Eccles, a profligate old drunkard, is the father of two beautiful girls, Esther and Polly. George D'Alroy, a young officer in the British Army who is infatuated with Esther, brings his friend, Captain Hawtree, to call. The captain is ...See moreEccles, a profligate old drunkard, is the father of two beautiful girls, Esther and Polly. George D'Alroy, a young officer in the British Army who is infatuated with Esther, brings his friend, Captain Hawtree, to call. The captain is greatly taken with the lively Polly, who makes him carry the teakettle about and generally dance attendance on her to the emphatic disgust of Sam Garridge, an ardent suitor for Polly's hand. Meanwhile Esther shows George a letter from an impresario offering her an engagement on the stage. The offer seems a veritable godsend to the girl, but she changes her mind when George asks her to be his wife instead. A few months after they are married, George receives the unpleasant news that he must sail for India with his regiment. Owing to her ultra-aristocratic ideas, George has not dared to tell his mother, the Marchioness D'Alroy, that he has married a girl of common origin, and he is in a quandary as to what provision he should make for Esther. The farewell scene between husband and wife at D'Alroy's city residence is broken by the appearance of the aristocratic mother, come to bid her son Godspeed on his way. Her astonishment and disgust may be imagined when a lowly ballet girl is introduced as her son's wife. To cap the climax, old Eccles, in his customary state of saturation, enters and greets his newly discovered relative. The Marchioness departs in a huff, refusing to recognize her daughter-in-law, and George sails for India. Shortly after his arrival he is seriously wounded in an engagement and the news of his death is sent to England. Esther, with her young baby, leaves her husband's house and goes back to her family. Here she is soon in destitute circumstances. Old Eccles, sniffling with pity over his sad fate, soon spends all her money and then steals the necklace of his "poo lil grandson." The Marchioness calls and haughtily offers to take the child and give Esther an allowance. To Eccles' horrified disgust, Esther indignantly refuses to be separated from her child. Happily enough D'Alroy is not really dead. He returns home and effects a reconciliation between aristocracy and democracy, which gives the picture a highly satisfactory finish. Written by Moving Picture World synopsis See less