The Social Law - Production & Contact Info (original) (raw)

Book-lover Ethel Lee lives with her father in a little fishing village on the Jersey coast. Beside her books, her only pleasure is the occasional visit of old Cap'n Judson, who brings candies and tales of the big city about which she has ...See moreBook-lover Ethel Lee lives with her father in a little fishing village on the Jersey coast. Beside her books, her only pleasure is the occasional visit of old Cap'n Judson, who brings candies and tales of the big city about which she has often read and dreamed. Ethel's father, Bill Lee, anxious to get her off his hands, forces her to accept the uncouth attention of coarse fisherman Big Jake. At this time, Dick Harvey, the dissolute son of a millionaire ship-owner, arrives home one night more drunk than usual. His father's patience exhausted, he orders Dick to report for work at the docks. Dick reports to none other than Cap'n Judson, and goes off with the skipper, arriving at the fishing village the next day. There the Cap'n makes his customary call on Ethel and her father. Dick and Ethel meet. While the young people are getting interested in each other, old Lee angrily interrupts them, and warns Ethel that unless she marries Big Jake at once, he will drive her from the house. Dick listens in amazement, then tells her that as his wife she'll have the finery and see the sights of which she has dreamed. Ethel and Dick leave for the city to be married. In Dick's apartment, Ethel asks him about the marriage, and he goes out, ostensibly to fetch a parson. He meets his friends and they enjoy a joke and offer to act as minister and witness. The "marriage" performed, Dick's toy is speedily gowned in resplendent city finery. Old Bill Lee finds Ethel's parting message, and asks faithful Cap'n Judson to investigate. The skipper soon acquaints Dick's parents of the "elopement." There's a hurried meeting, a stormy scene, and Dick, professing repentance, promises to restore the girl to her father. Dick's bosom friend Rupert enters the apartment. Ethel recognizes the "witness" of the "wedding ceremony" and welcomes him. He comes to the point rapidly, tells the startled girl he loves her, and attempts to embrace her. When she reminds him she's his friend's wife, he tears the mask of illusion off and recites the tale of the mock marriage. This only enrages Ethel the more, and when Rupert makes another attempt to overcome her, a struggle takes place. Dick enters the scene and strikes the assailant to the ground. He recognizes "his best friend," and sees the hopeless shame on the face of his poor victim, whose devotion he has rewarded with fraud and dishonor. Guiltily, Dick admits the whole truth, and declares that he loves her with his whole soul in spite of the deception, as he really does by now. As an answer to her look of reproach, he rushes out to find a real minister, and hastens back to find that his poor dupe has flown from her gilded cage. Ethel tries vainly to seek her father's forgiveness. The old man drives his daughter from the house. She wanders to a rocky eminence overlooking the sea and prepares to cast herself into it. Dick, rightly guessing that his little prize has returned home, follows her. A hurried glance into her cottage convinces him that she has walked down to the seashore, and he arrives there just as she plunges into the angry waters. He takes the plunge immediately after her. There's a struggle in the water, the lives of both hang on a thread, but with grim determination Dick strikes hard for the shore, where he folds the half-drowned girl in his arms. The marriage ceremony is performed that day, and Ethel's interrupted dream comes true. Written by Moving Picture World synopsis See less