Visionary Picks Drawn from the Same DNA as Her Husband's Wife: Cult Guide

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Blanche Scott, a famous actress married to rich lawyer Martin Scott, is living happily in New York, but her cousin Elsie is married to Frank Edmonds, a performer who mars her happiness through infidelity. Blanche invites Elsie to stay with her, and induces her husband to procure a divorce for Elsie. Blanche's blind grandfather George Moore lives with them. Previous to her marriage to Scott, Blanche met with an automobile accident in which both of her parents were killed, and from the shock she became mentally deranged, but shortly afterward recovered. At the birth of Blanche's first child Viola, her attack of insanity returns. Physicians declare her case hopeless, and she is confined to an asylum. Her cousin Elsie adopts Viola. Two years elapse and Blanche is still at the asylum. Meanwhile, Elsie has secured a divorce from her husband. During this time Scott makes advances to Elsie, but is repulsed. Scott's love for Elsie prompts him to bring suit for an annulment of his marriage to Blanche on the ground of her being insane prior to his marriage, and he succeeds in having his marriage annulled. Blanche, in her hallucinations, raves both of her child and of her past successes on the stage, and very often sees herself playing her favorite roles of various classic plays, in which she starred. Scott, assuring Elsie that Blanche's condition is hopeless, is successful in winning Elsie's love, and in due course of time, they are married. A year later Elsie gives birth to a boy. All are overjoyed, except the blind grandfather, who still lives with Scott. The moral wrong, though legally done to his grandchild Blanche rends his heart with sorrow. Six years later: All are living happily, having forgotten the past. One day Scott receives a letter from the superintendent of the asylum, notifying him that Blanche has unexpectedly recovered and is in a condition to be taken home. Scott shows the letter to Elsie, who insists that he bring Blanche back. Scott refuses, but Elsie fervently pleads with her husband to gratify her wish. He still remains obdurate. Moore, overhearing Elsie's plea, cautions Scott not to tell anything to Blanche for the time being, as it may cause a relapse. Scott, convinced by the prudent advice of the blind old man and Elsie's pathetic appeal, finally yields and brings Blanche home. Blanche's joy upon her return is somewhat dampened by her former husband's coolness. She suspects that there is some secret in the house, and questions Scott, Elsie, her grandfather, and the servants, but gets no satisfactory reply. Baffled in her efforts she at last questions her own eight-year-old daughter Viola, who tells her the truth. Elsie, wishing to sacrifice her own happiness for Blanche, decides to go away with her child, Eddie, but Blanche, realizing that she cannot live under the same roof with her former husband, prevents Elsie from leaving. The ex-wife then seizes a knife near at hand and attempts to cut her throat, but is prevented by Scott and Elsie. The furious rage and wild excitement again disturb her mental balance, and she is pronounced incurably insane. Blanche, while being led to the ambulance, wildly calls for Viola. Moore, sunk in unutterable grief, goes to her, but his suffering is beyond human endurance. He is overcome by his emotions, stricken with heart failure and dies. Blanche, seeing him fall, breaks loose from the physicians and rushes madly to the prostrate form of her grandfather, kneels over him, imagines that she performs the scene of La Tosca, where she kills the Baron and laughs hysterically.

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A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of A Child for Sale perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

A struggling artist in Greewich Village is devastated when his wife dies. Left with two children and with little money to support them, in desperation he sells one of them to a childless but wealthy couple. When he realizes what he has done, he determines not to go through with the "deal".

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Wealthy capitalist, Clinton Reynolds, and his wife, Laura, have lost their son, Arthur, kidnapped and possibly dead. Attempting to write a wrong in his factory, he adopts the daughter of one of his workers who is killed on site. The girl, Rose, grows up resentful of her adoptive father and as she grows older, seduces him in order to break up his marriage. Long lost Arthur returns and, finding his parents' married life in disarray, becomes romantically involved with Rose in order to end the relationship she has forged with his father. Reynolds comes to his senses and makes amends with Laura, at which point Arthur leaves Rose.

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A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of The Sex Lure perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Elga Pulaski and her brother Ossip live in Warsaw. They belong to a secret society whose goal is to liberate Poland and Russia from the Romanoffs. Elga is loved by Baron Jan Slozek. But Slozek is a spy who has Ossip and other members of the society arrested. When Slozek is slain, Ossip is the key suspect. He escapes to America with his sister. There, Elga meets Norman Hutchinson, and marries him without telling him her past. When Hutchinson learns the truth, he leaves Elga. Eventually, when Elga appeals to him, he sees the light.

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In order to provide for her widowed mother, Louise Mordyke, Ethel marries Arthur Woodridge, a wealthy philanthropist who is considerably older than she. Although she respects her husband, Ethel resumes an affair with Howard Rosedale, the husband of her cousin Helen. Helen hires a detective, who discovers the lovers at a roadhouse. Rushing from the inn, Ethel is caught in a thunderstorm, after which she contracts pneumonia and dies, repentant but unconfessed. Arthur grieves so deeply that Louise and Helen fear for his sanity, and when Louise learns that he is contemplating suicide, she reveals the truth about Ethel's infidelity. Arthur, incredulous, denounces her. Following Howard's sudden death, however, Helen confirms the story. Louise and Arthur marry, and Helen weds an old friend.

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A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of One Law for Both perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Henry Patterson, living in Chicago with his wife, Lola, and infant boy, Harold, receives disturbing news regarding his mining interests at Denver. He goes there to investigate, and to avoid publicity, assumes the name of Henry Donovan. At Denver, he finds the mine is worthless, and faces ruin. He meets Louise Douglas, a wealthy woman, who becomes attracted to him. She makes overtures of marriage, unaware of his real identity. Henry, in a wild belief that he can save his family from poverty, marries Louise. He invents excuses to Lola, whom he still loves, for his long absence. The poor woman receives his money and affectionate letters, ignorant of his folly. In due course, Louise gives birth to a daughter, Muriel. The months lengthen into years, Lola in her solitude, has formed a strong friendship for Fred Warren, an artist, for whom she poses. The artist, believing Lola to be a widow, presses her to marry him. Her refusals arouse his suspicion, until one day Lola receives a letter which, Warren notices, agitates her. The letter is, indeed, from her husband, a confession of his bigamous union with Louise, and promising to make early reparation. Taking advantage of Lola's absence from the room, Warren purloins the letter and learns her secret. Meanwhile, Louise has entrusted Henry with a large sum of money for investment in New York. He goes instead to his wife at Chicago. In a touching scene, past sins are confessed and forgiven, and the couple make preparations for a hasty departure. At the moment of leaving, Warren pays Lola an unexpected visit. Furiously Warren denounces Henry, calls him "Bigamist," and threatens to turn over his letter of confession to his wife Louise. Henry, demanding the letter, draws a revolver, and in the struggle, the pistol is accidentally discharged, killing the bigamist. With a plea for forgiveness as he dies. Henry hands over to Lola Louise's money. In order not to implicate her in the murder. Warren orders Lola away from the scene. She, having in mind the $50,000, heeds his advice and immediately leaves with Harold for New York, where she assumes the name of "Gibson." Warren telephones the police, giving himself up as the murderer. Louise, notified by the Chicago police of her husband's death, comes to Chicago. Seeking revenge, she secures permission to see her husband's murderer. She enters the cell with a concealed weapon. There she learns for the first time the truth, from the written confession of her husband which the prisoner has concealed on his person. She is prostrated by grief, and her vow of vengeance becomes a promise to help the prisoner. The trial takes place. Warren, aided by Louise's counsel and her testimony, is declared "not guilty." With gratitude on the one side, and sympathy on the other, a strong bond of friendship is formed which soon gives way to love. Warren and Louise marry and come to live in New York. With the passing of years, Lola, giving way to extravagance, becomes penniless. Harold, now at Milan studying music, requests funds, and with her son's need in mind, Lola at a dance steals a necklace. Her theft detected, she is tried and sent to prison for two years. Harold, who has made a name for himself in Milan, meets a charming student, Muriel Warren. Unaware of each other's antecedents, they form a deep attachment and finally arrange to return to America to marry. Lola's prison term expired, she comes to New York. There, sitting on a park bench, she picks up a discarded newspaper, in which she reads the wedding announcement of Harold and Muriel, to take place that afternoon. She rushes to the church, breaks through the crowd, and in a most dramatic scene, before the altar, makes her confession to the priest. Muriel now learns for the first time that her stepfather, Warren, killed her father. Her soul, embittered by the guilt of her parents, she leaves her mother's house and becomes a nun. Harold, learning that his, father's misdeeds nearly caused the marriage of brother and sister, forgives his broken-hearted mother, takes her with him and makes a home for her.

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Laura Henderson, an orphan, is brought up by her aunt, Mary Sherman, who keeps a boarding house. Among the boarders is Angelo Angelini, an Italian violinist. Laura is infatuated with the handsome Angelo, who loves her, and they are engaged to be married. Angelo betrays the girl, and later leaves her, with the explanation that he is to make a western concert tour. A month later, the poor girl receives a letter from Angelo telling her that he has returned to Italy, where he has a wife and child. Later a daughter is born to Laura, who is named Ruth. Unable to obtain employment in her own town, the unfortunate mother abandons her child to the care of her Aunt Mary, and goes to New York. Ill and weak from hunger, the poor young mother is picked up in the street by Reverend Henry Bradley, who takes her to his home. Dr. Bradley and his mother offer Laura a home, and work as secretary to the minister. Later Dr. Bradley falls in love with Laura, and asks her to become his wife. Laura accepts his proposal, and she marries Dr. Bradley, without telling him that she has an illegitimate child, and she secretly sends money to her aunt for the support of her child, Ruth. Nineteen years later, Dr. Bradley is now chaplain of the City Prison of New York. They have a daughter, Aline, who is about to be engaged to Walter Jordon, who comes from one of the finest families in New York. Ruth, now a girl of 20 years, believes that Mary is her mother. One day she happens to find out through a letter that Laura sent to Mary, that she is not Mary's daughter. Ruth forces Mary to tell her who and where her mother is, and at last Mary confesses the truth. Ruth determines to go to New York and seek her mother. Meanwhile Angelo has returned to America and, under the assumed name of Angell, lives in New York with his son, Tony. The boy refuses to work and becomes one of the vilest of all human creatures, a "cadet." Tony pretends to rescue Ruth from an attack by one of his pals, prepared by himself, and the poor girl, believing him to be a decent man, accompanies him to a restaurant. Then Tony takes Ruth to his own room, telling her it is the home of his "highly respectable aunt." A letter sent by Tony to an accomplice, offering to sell the girl to him for white slavery in New Orleans, is seen by Ruth, who realizes her perilous position. She tries to escape from the room. Tony threatens her with a pistol, and in the struggle which follows Tony is shot dead. Angelo enters the room just as his son has been shot. The poor girl is arrested and taken to prison, where she meets Chaplain Bradley and tells him her sad story. Unaware that it is his own wife's daughter, he is helping, the chaplain takes Mrs. Sherman to visit Ruth in prison. Mrs. Sherman is confronted with a terrible situation. Laura's legitimate child, Aline, is celebrating her engagement to Walter Jordon in the magnificent home of the latter's parents. Mrs. Sherman decides it is her duty to the unfortunate Ruth to acquaint her mother with the terrible facts. Laura while celebrating the betrothal of her younger daughter, learns that the child of her first love languishes in prison charged with murder. The unfortunate mother becomes temporarily deranged. Aline, the younger daughter, on learning of her mother's disgrace, is heartbroken, breaks off the engagement with Walter, and later her dead body is found by her father and lover, the second victim of the Sins of the Parents. At the trial of Ruth for the killing of Tony, Angelo appears as a witness. The father is about to speak the words that will condemn his own daughter to the electric chair for the killing of his son, when a commotion in the rear of the court room causes him to be silent. Laura, the mother of the prisoner, has escaped from her nurse and has forced her way into the court room. She recognizes Angelo, the man who betrayed her 22 years ago. and who is now about to condemn his own daughter. Angelo now learns, for the first time, that his own daughter killed his son; he suffers keenly, refuses to speak. The half-demented mother is led out of the court room by her husband and court officers in a hysterical condition. The jury brings in a verdict of acquittal on the ground of self-defense. Ruth is free, but alone in a great city. Dr. Bradley takes Ruth into his home to her mother. Laura, realizing the noble stand of the minister, and feeling that she is unworthy of her husband she has deceived, decides to leave the house with her daughter, Ruth, in hope that the disgrace she brought upon her husband will be forgotten, but Bradley resigns as minister and insists upon Laura staying where he will stay. He folds both mother and daughter in his arms, gives them his blessing, thanks the Lord that to him it has been given the honor to help two suffering souls into the light. Angelo, suffering as the result of his youthful sins, decides to commit suicide, but has not the courage to do so. Bradley receives a reply from the board of directors of his congregation, stating that they have looked into the misfortune that has befallen upon his family and they congratulate him for his noble act, and ask him to remain with them as their minister. Bradley shows the letter to his wife. Laura, heartbroken, falls on her knees and begs forgiveness of her husband.

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A visual fragment from the archive: The thematic resonance of Ashes of Love perfectly mirrors the editorial trajectory of our deep dive.

Despite the pleading of his wife Marion and his little daughter Vivian, Raymond Edwardes intensifies his affair with a charming adventuress named Lucille Stanton. Marion attends a reception with Frederick Barton one evening, leaving Raymond free to visit Lucille and leaving Raymond's younger sister Alice alone in the house. Bob Gardner, who is engaged to Raymond's elder sister Florence, rapes Alice, and that same evening, Raymond finds Frederick in Lucille's room. Realizing the great pain he has caused his wife, Raymond asks for Marion's forgiveness. Bob is killed in a fight with Frederick, whereupon his brother, Dick Gardner, offers to marry Alice to atone for Bob's wrong.

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Rhoda Cortlandt, daughter of Theodore Cortlandt, a millionaire who is interested in charity, is beloved by Webster, son of Madeline Stuyvesant, a philanthropist who is Cortlandt's competitor. Burton Woodrow, employed by Cortlandt in order to send his consumptive mother to Colorado, steals $250 from his employer. He is detected and sent to prison for a year. Clarice Lee, a thief, is beloved by Chicago Jim, a gang leader. Mrs. Stuyvesant and Rhoda are visiting a poor family residing in the apartment adjacent to Clarice's. Chicago Jim discovers Clarice in the arms of Pugsy, a member of his gang, and beats her. Her cries reach Rhoda and Mrs. Stuyvesant, who go to her rescue. Jim escapes. Clarice, to work upon the sympathies of Mrs. Stuyvesant, declares that Jim beat her because she would not steal for him. Mrs. Stuyvesant takes Clarice to her home. Cortlandt, believing that Mrs. Stuyvesant has procured a million dollar contract through bribery, calls her a trickster in Webster's presence; he defends his mother. A quarrel ensues. Cortlandt orders Webster from his home. Clarice while in the home becomes infatuated with Webster, who ignores her. Hearing of his love for Rhoda, she persuades Pugsy, her admirer, to lure Rhoda to his room for the purpose of degrading her. Pugsy entices and attempts to assault her there. Rhoda, defending herself, is severely wounded and suffers great loss of blood. At the hospital to which she is taken the doctors declare that only a transfusion of blood will save her life. Webster, hearing of Rhoda's condition, offers his blood. The offer is refused by the stubborn and angry Cortlandt, who orders the doctors to advertise and offer $500 for the necessary blood. Burton, released from prison, unable to secure employment, reads the advertisement and applies at the hospital, where after a rest he is accepted and a quantity of his blood is transfused to Rhoda's veins. Before his discharge from the hospital Burton learns that the recipient of his blood is the daughter of the man who sent him to prison. Cortlandt and the Stuyvesants become reconciled. Burton in the presence of Rhoda offers to return to Cortlandt the money he stole. Rhoda prevents her father from accepting it, and insists that he re-employ Burton. Cortlandt grants Rhoda's wish. Mrs. Stuyvesant gives a reception in celebration of Rhoda's recovery, during which the engagement of Webster and Rhoda is announced. Rhoda is horrified by constantly recurring visions of Burton. Wherever she goes Burton appears before her, whatever she does recalls him to her mind. His vision constantly calls to her. She struggles against the thought, but realizes that with the blood given her by Burton has come love. Unable to restrain the call of his blood she surrenders herself to it and telephones asking him to visit her. He does so, and she confesses her love for him. Burton tells her that he loved her long before he was sent to prison, but that his past is a shadow that will darken her future. Rhoda pleads with Burton and declares that his shadow will fade in the warmth of her love. That evening Webster finds Rhoda in Burton's arms, and is horrified. Rhoda returns the engagement ring to Webster, telling him, "Condemn me if you will, Burton gave me blood, and with it came love." Webster, realizing the power of true love, sacrifices his own love for Rhoda's sake and takes back the returned engagement ring. Cortlandt enters the scene, learns the truth. He is shocked and in great excitement denounces and orders Burton from his house. Webster tells Cortlandt that his stubbornness of not permitting him to give his blood caused it all. He pleads and moves Cortlandt to consent to the marriage of his daughter to the man he sent to prison.

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Wealthy Richard Covington, although aging and lonely, distresses his children, Waverly and Beatrice, by marrying a heartless seductress named Fay Hope. Because Fay's extravagant spending threatens to ruin Richard, Beatrice confronts her, which prompts Richard, who is hopelessly in love with the beautiful vampire, to order his daughter from the house. Fay introduces her lover, "Lucky" Travers, into the Covington household as her brother, but Waverly catches them in each other's arms and, in a fit of insanity, shoots at Lucky. The bullet strikes and kills Fay, and Waverly is locked in an asylum, leaving Richard broken, penniless and completely alone. In New York, he finds work carrying sandwich boards that advertise a cabaret, where he sees Beatrice warmly conversing with Lucky. Beatrice consoles her distraught father by admitting that she now works for the Secret Service. After securing Lucky's arrest, Beatrice returns to her fiance, Rodman Daniels, who has arranged Waverly's release from the asylum, and the entire family is reunited.