Film Index (Jan-Dec 1909)

8 THE FILM INDEX trying to make one of the barn kittens scratch her. One of the farm hands compels him to stop. The cows have moved slowly over the hill towards their pasture to crop a few more moulhfuls of the luscious green grass before lying down for the night. Jake starts after them. Suddenly he stops and calls the farm hands. Up the lane drives Tom with Mabel. All the hands gather around the buggy and question Tom. They help Tom and Mabel from the buggy. Now Mabel's father arrives. Tom modestly tells him of the runaway. Mr. Hubbard offers to reward Tom, but Tom tells him all the reward he wants is an opportunity to work. Father Hubbard then offers him a job. Tom accepts and all hands crowd round and shake hands with Tom and compliment him on his bravery. Tom extends his hand to the city chap, but the city chap refuses to shake hands with him. Now all the hands surround Tom and conduct him to his quarters. The city chap now approaches Mabel, but she has seen his treatment of brave Tom and she ignores him. Scene IV. — The next scene gives us a view of the main street of the little village. Here we find the city chap with several of the village loafers. Several months have elapsed since Tom saved Mabel in the runaway. Mabel has never forgotten the city chap for his treatment of Tom on that occasion. Piqued at this the city chap spends more of his leisure time with the village loafers than at the farm. Here comes the messenger, who in spite of the large sum of money he carries, has foolishly imbibed too freely. He reels past the loafers and flashes his roll of money in their faces. At the sight of the money the city chap's eyes glisten. Here is an opportunity to obtain some much-needed money and at the same time be revenged on Tom. As the poor drunken messenger drives away he stands watching him, his brain busy with his plans for revenge. Scene V. — It is now dusk. Along the lone road comes Jake, the farmer's mischievous nephew, on his way to his favorite fishing hole. Hearing a noise he quickly hides himself in the bushes along the side of the road. It is the city chap he has heard approaching. The city chap comes running along stopping every moment or so to glance back at some one following. Now he stops as if waiting. Soon from the direction he came appears the wagon of the drunken messenger. Evidently the city chap has not waited long before putting his plan of revenge into action. As soon as the wagon reaches the spot where he is waiting the city chap climbs up into the wagon and deals the poor drunken messenger a savage blow with his club, then seizes the money and climbing down from the* wagon starts the horse on its way. As soon as the wagon has disappeared he wraps his spoils in a handkerchief and secrets it by the roadside intending to return and get it as soon as suspicion is allayed. Away he goes to carry out the other part of his plan and accuse Tom of the robbery. No sooner has he disappeared than out comes Jake, who has seen him hide the handkerchief. Quickly securing it Jake opens it and is astounded to find it contains money. With bulging eyes he seats himself on the roadway and begins to count it. Scene VI. — The next day we find Tom and the other hands busy in Farmer Hubbard's cornfield. Suddenly they hear a hallo and turn to greet Mabel and a girl friend with their noonday lunch. They are welcomed with a shout by the hungry workers. Tom and Mabel manage to steal a lover's greeting while the others are busy with the lunch for since that day of the runaway Tom has learned to love Mabel and Mabel has given her heart to the safe-keeping of her brave rescuer. Now all begin to enjoy the lunch. Suddenly appears the city chap and with him the sheriff. The city chap has lost no time in finding the sheriff and telling him the story of seeing Tom rob the drunken messenger. Tom declares his innocence, but urged 'on by the city chap the sheriff leads him away while Mabel and the hands followin wonderment. Scene VII. — Farmer Hubbard is seated out in the yard reading his paper when he hears the murmur of approaching voices. In rushes the city chap and begins to tell him the story of the robbery. Farmer Hubbard is astounded. And now the sheriff arrives with Tom. The city chap continues his story. Tom, unable to* control his anger at such vicious lies strikes the city chap down. Things are beginning to look black for poor Tom, when Jake comes in with the handkerchief containing the money. Upon being questioned he tells how he saw the city chap hide it. The city chap attempts to deny it is his handkerchief, but Farmer Hubbard finds his initials in the corner. Baffled and beaten he is led away snarling. Farmer Hubbard turns tn find Mabel in Tom's arms. He has long been aware of the feelings of the two young people and extending his hand to Tom he tells him that with his broad acres to manage, Tom need never expect to find himself "out of work." in, but is shown the door by the old man. After the mother is buried the old man takes the boy to bis home and adopts him. The drunkard learning of ;i sum of money in the house tries to break open the LUBIN MFG. CO. "THE DRUNKARD'S CHILD." — The wife lies on in r death-bed, the little boy a cripple, Is selling papers. The drunken father watches on (he corner to take the pennies from the boy. An old man passing drops his wallet ami the little boy restores the s;i to the loser who takes him along to buy him a square j 1 1 ■ ;> I and some good Clothes. He then brings him bone-. The dying wife begs the Stranger to look out for her boy and alter having received his promise she falls back dead. The drunken father comeB safe. Discovered by his son he calls the old man. The drunkard is shot in the fight, thus the drunkard's son has twice saved his protector from great loss. "THE NEWEST WOMAN." — Mrs.. Fashion Plate has seen the latest Paris creation and at once ordered a balloon suit. Imagine the surprise of hubby when he sees wifey thus gowned. He gives her a good call down. Wifey cries but to suit her husband she takes off the objectionable gown. In the meantime hubby decided to get even. He dressed in a fancy costume with lace on the trousers with which he surprises wifey. She declares him to be crazy but he tells her that now they are square. They both decide to get rid of the objectionable costumes and throw them out of the window where they are found by two tramps. They step behind bushes and dress in the latest. When they come forth and look at one another they faint dead away. "AN UNEXPECTED GUEST."— Young Dr. Fletcher is in love with Alice Chalmers, a young nurse of much refinement, who through unfortunate circumstances, has been obliged to earn her own living. They love not wisely but too well. Dr. Fletcher writes to his father asking his consent for his marriage with the young nurse. The father, however, has higher plans with his son and at once comes to visii him. He refuses to give his consent and visits the young lady. After a stormy interview she writes to her lover as follows: "My Dear Rcberl : your father has .just told uie of his plans for your future, also thai marriage with a girl of wealth and social position can alone assure your rapid advancement. Hence, ami in view of your lather's objection In n/ir marriage, 1 leave you tii e in act as you may judge best. Helen. P. S.— However, I must see you again, as there is something you should know and which may affect your decision. H." The father takes the letter, tears off the postscript and tells his son that his sweetheart had given him up. Two years have passed. Miss Chalmers lies in the h spital on her deathbed, in her arms the little child, the son of the young doctor. Learning of his wedding, she writes a note to him begging him to see her at once, as otherwise it may be too late. The letter unfortunately reaches the hands of Miss Manning, the daughter of a rich banker, who, on the morning of her wedding day, hurries to the hospital there to learn the life story of her intended. She promises Alice to take care of the little waif. A last pressure of the hand and the poor girl dies. The wedding guests are assembled, the groom is waiting with a happy smile frr his intended, but she is nowhere to be found. The door is thrown open, the young lady enters, throws open her coat and shows the little baby to his father. Consternation all around. The ycung doctor is horror stricken, he recognizes the duplicity of his father, who vainly tries to excuse his act. The guests are dismissed, the doctor takes his baby to care for it in the future. The bride recognizing that her intended was only misguided, offers to share with him the cares for I he little one. SELIG POLYSCOPE CO. "THE LEOPARD QUEEN."— A story, unique as to pictures, founded on fact and produced with absolute fidelity to nature. A news item in the English edition of the Cairo news (Africa), dated ten years ago, begins this startling series of picture events — British Ship Zanzibar Founders off East Coast — Frightful fate would await cast-aways, as the country is uninhabited for hundreds of miles — then we are shown a raft in mid-ocean bearing the only two survivors of the lost Zanzibar — Capt. Jack Owens and his daughter Essie. A few hours later we get a glimpse of the African shore line, showing the captain and his daughter both lying senseless where the remorseless waves have tossed them. Five years later we see a rude cabin built of grass, mud and brush. The labor of its making has kept the brave captain and his daughter from madness — the utter hopelessness of their being rescued from this desolate region has finally become a settled conviction with them both, so they live as best they can, fighting as primeval man had to fight for food and shelter; the sea has washed ashore from the Zanzibar many things which have helped them in their present situation — the skins of animals protect them from the heavy dews of night, and the captain has learned through necessity to keep their larder stocked with his bow and arrows. An evil day somes — the father is stricken with fever, and in spite of his daughter's loving care, he succumbs, leaving Essie alone. For weeks afterwards the girl barely exists, but at last the desire for life returns and hope — the feeling an all-wise Providence gives to humanity as a safeguard against our ills — regains possession of her mind and she fights on alone. One day in the woods she hears a wail — it sounds like the cry of an infant in distress. Upon investigation she discovers two baby leopards in the hollow of a tree; the girl hungers for companionship, so she determines to take the kittens to her home and as she reaches the door the mother leopard bounds into view. The girl, nothing daunted, clings to the babies. A strange scene follows — the fearless girl and the mother leopard become friends — she is alone no longer. One Year Later. — Two animal buyers are starting for the interior. We follow the interesting movements of these men. We see them pitch camp in the jungles, trap leopards and other wild animals. Gates Finds Essie. — A dense jungle; a white man with three native gunbearers is following a leopard track; suddenly he sees a magnificent specimen lying contentedly in his path, he raises his rifle, a human voice utters a cry, and a beautiful girl, clad in leopard skins, falls with arms outstretched across the body — Essie sees a human face and hears her mother tongue for the first time since her father's death. A few weeks later Jordan starts back with the first consignment of animals, leaving Gates to follow with the rescued girl, Essie has not only made friends with the leopard family, but being gifted by nature with a strange power over animals, she has taught them to obey her. We witness her giving Gates a demonstration of this power. The girl is alone in the world, and upon her return to civilization must have a means of livelihood. Gates is a showman and knows that an act such as Essie will bo able to give with her pets will prove a revelation to the jaded theatregoes of America and Europe, so he proposes the scheme to Essie. She has grown very fond of her rescuer and is willing to be guided by his advice. Gates puts his men to building crates, and we see the party start back for clvilizal ion. At Cairo, Loading the Animals on board a steamer hound for Paris. Then four weeks later we witness Essie's (irst4 public appearance. Gates has had scenery arranged to represent the girl's rude African • abode, and (he transplanted leopards, thinking themselves back in Af rica with their Queen, obey her slightest wish, to the delight of a vast audience, and