The Moving Picture Weekly (1917-1919)

THE MOVING PICTURE WEEKLY 9 II Gold Seal Three-Reel Society Drama. Scenario by Giles Warren. Produced by Charles Swickard. CAST. Lucy Spalding Belle Bennett Clayton Spalding Morris Foster John Darner Val Paul Mrs. W. Brown Betty Schade II c AN'T you lend me the money, Mary? If you don't, I don't know what we'll do. Clayton has to get back the securities he borrowed, or go to jail. Oh, you can't let him go to jail, Mary! Think of the shame of it!" "Lucy, dear, I'll do what I can for you. Please don't cry so. Go and tell Clayton that I'll try my best to help you." Lucy had just heard from her brother that, unable to meet his gambling debts and threatened with expulsion from the club, he had "borrowed;" some securities from the bank in which he was employed, and raised a loan on them. The bank has discovered their loss, and given Clayton, in consideration of his position in society, twenty-four hours to replace the bonds. Clayton had come to Lucy, and Lucy had turned to her dearest friend, Mary Brown, in whose country house she was a guest. Among the house party was Mrs. Brown's brother, John Darner, a ranch owner from the West, paying his first visit in years to the East. He had seen and been much attracted to Lucy, recognizing that she had the faults of a spoiled and petted child, but that underneath her frivolous manners there was a lovable nature. He longed to take her back with him to his ranch in Wyoming, away from all the artificiality of her life. He overheard her appeal to Mrs. Brown, and begged her to refuse Lucy's request, seeing the opportunity he had been looking for. Lucy was desperate when she heard that Mrs. Brown must refuse to help her. The temptati6n to accept the hand of the rich Westerner was too great. She did not love him, but she saw an opportunity to save her brother, and to provide for her own future. She was honest enough to tell him that she did not care for him, but he assumed the responsibility for that. They set out, after a hurried wedding, Clayton accompanying them, for Wyoming. The place struck Lucy as dreary in the extreme, and matters were not improved when she found that John expected her to take a fair share in the management of the house. Meals for all the ranch hands were under her ehaz-ge, and she had to^ supervise the Chinese cook, who resented her interference. Clayton rejoiced in the life, but Lucy was very unhappy. She had almost made up her mind to leave it, once for all, when her birthday came, and her husband gave her a horse. The boys presented her with the saddle for it. She set off for a ride with them. When they arrived at the saloon, they invited her in to "cele ■ brate" with them, but she of course LUCY By Edna Rowell Schley refused. She asked the way to the station of an old man, and set out with the idea of taking the train back east. Three rough characters saw the unprotected woman riding alone, and followed her. When the boys came out of the saloon they thought that she had gone home, but were very uneasy when they found that she was not there. John became alarmed and set out with Clayton to hunt for her. They found the old man who had directed her to the station, and rode furiously in pursuit. Lucy had come to a wash-out in the road, and fallen from her horse, the three men at once attacking her and carrying her to a shack above the road. Here they proceeded to play cards for her. John, however, arrived just in time with the cowboys, and the three desperados found short shift. "You are right. This life does not suit you, and you are free to go back whenever you like. I'll institute divorce proceedings at once, and you will have no trouble," John told her that night, when she had recovered from her experience. "I don't want a divorce." "Well, what do you want?" You!" and she fell into his arms. At that moment Clayton came around the corner. "Prettv good scheme of ours, eh, John? Worked, didn't it?" he said with a grin, while Lucy stared in astonishment, and John signaled him furiously to be silent.