The Cult Collection Inspired by the Vision of Young Romance: Cult Guide

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Ailing King Leopold sends his daughter Princess Alexia of Osia to a exclusive American girls' boarding school as a commoner, so that she can know the meaning of true freedom. When she meets young millionaire Bob Carewe, they fall in love, but Alexia is summoned home because of a conspiracy of the king's advisers threatening to replace him with the Duchess Sylvia. When Bob reads of Osia's financial difficulties, he goes to help with a loan, though he realizes she cannot marry him if she is ever to rule. When the king dies suddenly, it causes a rebellion among the people. Although Bob bravely fights against the conspirators and nobly helps a bleeding rival for Alexia's affections, the duchess is proclaimed queen. She orders Alexia's arrest, but Bob, using one of the conspirators as a shield, escapes with Alexia to the border, now they are happily free to marry.

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At the opening of the story Daniel Slade is working in a mine and, though not positively in need, he and his wife live in comparative poverty. Slade is a man filled with ambition, but his wife is contented and absorbed in her love for her husband. By a fortunate accident he discovers a gold mine, and with his newly acquired wealth, immediately sets out to make a position of influence for himself in the world. His aggressive personality and ability at once attract attention, these qualities being combined with wealth, and the possibilities of a political career are pointed out to him by Senator Strickland. Slade has no sooner established himself in his new surroundings than he comes to feel that his wife does not know how to take advantage of their altered circumstances. She is still the same simple, home-loving person. In the course of time he becomes attracted to the Senator's daughter, who, like himself, is of ambitious temperament. In fact, though she does not love him, she agrees to marry him if he obtains a divorce from his wife. The concluding episodes of the story show how the wife rescues her husband from his unpardonable folly, and how, much chastened, he finally persuades her to come back to him. He has now become the chief executive of the State and Mary at last takes her place as the Governor's Lady.

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Foster sister of the Duchess d'Aubeterre, Madeline, marries Jean Renaud, a French soldier, and has a daughter named Adrienne. Five years later, on a battlefield, Renaud is entrusted by the Count de Moray with jewels and papers proving that Adrienne is his heir. After Moray's death, Renaud gives everything to Madeline and then returns to the battle. Lazarre, who had followed Renaud, then goes to Madeline and demands the jewels. Madeline's refusal awakens Adrienne, but Madeline quiets her by saying that her father is home. When Madeline still refuses Lazarre's request, he stabs her. Later, Adrienne tells the neighbors that her father had just been with her mother. Renaud is sentenced to prison for life, after which the Duchess adopts Adrienne. Many years later, Adrienne re-encounters her father and eventually the true murderer is revealed and Renaud is pardoned.

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Ram, High Priest of the Temple of Delhi, urges his people to throw off the British yoke. Word of the uprising reaches General Kimber who is in command of the troops at Calcutta. Summoning Captain Arlington and Lieutenant Shannon of the famous Sixth, he orders them to proceed to Delhi with their troops. Arlington and Shannon are rivals for the hand of Dora, the commandant's daughter. Although secretly betrothed to Surrada, the beautiful native girl employed as Dora's maid, Arlington is filled with jealous rage upon discovering that Dora loves his rival. The captain has tired of Surrada but fears to cast her off because of the scandal she may create. Shortly afterwards, Arlington and Shannon reach Delhi where they succeed in restoring order. The High Priest Ram, however, lays his plans for a general uprising and on Sunday, May 10, 1857, the famous massacre at Meerut, which started the nationwide mutiny, commences. Thousands of English men, women and children are slain. Ram and his followers make their way to Delhi. At the sight of the priest, the Sepoy troops turn upon their white officers and slay them. At the first sign of danger, Arlington flees. Shannon, however, rallies the white troops. The soldiers are finally compelled to make a stand about the arsenal. The women and children beg Shannon to slay them, should the natives prove victorious. Knowing the terrible fate which must befall them should they fall into the hands of the Sepoys. Shannon consents. The women and children are placed in the magazine of the arsenal, while Shannon makes preparations to destroy the building in event of defeat. The soldiers are beaten back. The victorious natives rush into the arsenal to capture the women inside. Shannon lights a fuse leading to the powder stored in the building. The awful explosion which follows rends the walls asunder, bringing death to the hundreds in the building. Arlington makes his way back to Calcutta where he informs General Kimber that Shannon and his men have been slain by the natives. Believing her sweetheart dead, Dora is grief-stricken. Arlington attempts to console her but is spurned. By a miracle, Shannon has escaped death in the explosion which destroyed the arsenal. Slaying a native, the lieutenant disguises himself in the man's clothes. After many days he reaches Calcutta. Dora is overjoyed to see her lover alive and uninjured. Fearing lest his cowardice be revealed, Arlington implores Shannon to keep silent. The latter consents. General Kimber marches upon Delhi with his entire army. A few days after her father's departure, Dora decides to follow. Accompanied by a bodyguard of natives, she sets out for Delhi despite Surrada's pleas. The treacherous natives, however, deliver the girl into the hands of Shah, king of Delhi. Inflamed by her beauty, the king decides to make her the queen of his harem. Overwhelmed by the fate which menaces her mistress, Surrada slays the man guarding their room and escapes from the palace. The native girl makes her way out of the city to the British encampment. While she informs General Kimber of his daughter's plight, the murder of the guard is discovered. Dora is thrown into a dungeon to await torture and death. Kimber, Arlington and Shannon are horrified upon hearing Surrada's awful news. Shannon and Arlington beg to be allowed to go to the girl's rescue. Because of his seniority in rank, the honor falls to Arlington. Accompanied by Surrada, the man hastens towards the city gates. The two arrive a moment too late and are locked out of the city tor the night. Unwilling to return to camp, Arlington and Surrada enter the Temple nearby where they determine to hide for the night. There the captain sees the great diamond which forms the eye of the idol Brahma. Filled with greed, Arlington forgets his mission and unknown to Surrada, pries the jewel from its resting place. Umballa, a servant in the Temple, sees the thief at work, and is knocked unconscious after a struggle with the Englishman. To hide the jewel, Arlington returns to camp where he announces his failure. Unable to sleep, Shannon strolls beyond the lines. Learning of Arlington's failure upon his return, the man denounces him as a coward. Later, the thief wraps the diamond in a cloth and gives it to Surrada. He tells the native girl that it contains his mother's jewels. The following morning. Ram, Umballa and a number of natives arrive at the camp and inform General Kimber of the theft of Brahma's eye. Having promised that the sacred edifice should not be molested, the British commander vows to find and punish the offender. Umballa sees Shannon. Mistaking him for his assailant the native accuses the lieutenant of the theft. Circumstances point to Shannon as the vandal. Kimber orders him to his tent. Shortly afterwards, the British troops make an assault upon Delhi. While the attack is going on, Surrada suspecting the truth, comes to Shannon and gives him the package. Heart-broken because of her lover's deception, and fearing the curse of Brahma, the girl suicides before Shannon can interfere. The lieutenant sees that the British are being repulsed. He rejoins his men. Calling for volunteers Shannon announces his intention of blowing up the city gates. Accompanied by three men, the lieutenant crawls to the gates where he plants several sacks of powder A few moments later, the huge doors are torn from their hinges by a terrific explosion. Led by Shannon, the British enter the city and sweep all before them. King Shah hears this news with dismay. Furious, he determines to wreak vengeance upon the daughter of the British commander. Dora is tied to the muzzle of a loaded cannon. After lighting the fuse the natives flee. The maddened rebels make a last stand in the city streets. A number of them surround Arlington. Facing death, the man's courage comes to the surface. Six of the natives fall by his sword. A spear thrust through his breast brings Arlington low. Attracted by a woman's screams for help, Shannon and his men dash into the palace courtyard. The gallant soldier sees his sweetheart's awful danger. Slashing her bonds, Shannon pulls Dora aside. An instant later, a terrific roar appraises the fainting girl of the awful danger from which she had been rescued in the nick of time.

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Major Dean's developed mental powers have enabled him to give demonstrations in thought-suggestion. Interested in character types, the major, who is an army surgeon, visits a notorious dance hall owned by Lorenzo. The surgeon is struck by the beauty of Mabel, one of the dance hall girls. Mabel lives in deadly fear of Lorenzo. Due to the interest he takes in her Major Dean again demonstrates his wonderful power of mental suggestion by causing the girl to lay down the glass she raised to her lips. Later, a fight is started in the dance hall. All lights are shot out. Mabel is stunned by a bullet. Seizing her in his arms, Major Dean takes her to his home. The following morning finds the girl still unconscious. Major Dean's diagnosis leads him to believe that due to the wound caused by the bullet, a pressure on certain brain cells has wiped all memory of the past from Mabel's mind. Realizing that despite her condition, the girl's subconscious mind is capable o£ registering impressions, the surgeon forces upon Mabel's mind the thought she is, and always has been, his daughter. The girl is possessed of this belief when she recovers. She later accompanies Major Dean to the western army post to which he has been assigned. Sergeant Whitney, an old soldier, is stationed at the post. The man is struck by the wonderful resemblance which Mabel bears to his daughter who, several years previous, had been enticed from her home by a gambler. Although Whitney has never seen the man, he has vowed to find and kill him. Meanwhile, Lorenzo learns what has become of his former victim. Resolved to regain her, he leaves for the west. Arriving at the army post, Lorenzo demands that Dean surrender Mabel. Knowing the girl will not recognize the man, the surgeon allows her to comfort him. Mabel shrinks from Lorenzo in repulsion. Suspecting the truth, Lorenzo later waylays his former victim while she is out riding and endeavors to revive in her mind the memory of her life with him. At the same instant, Major Dean is obsessed by a sense of impending danger. The surgeon gazes out of the window through a pair of field glasses. He discovers Lorenzo talking to Mabel. Aware of the man's nefarious scheme, Major Dean concentrates his powerful will in an effort to so influence Mabel's mind as to enable her to withstand Lorenzo's hypnotic influence. The girl, who had been wavering, receives the message emanating from the major's mind. It causes her to shrink from her former master with the assertion she has no recollection of the incidents he has mentioned. The opportune arrival of Sergeant Whitney prevents Lorenzo from seizing Mabel and carrying her away. That night, Lieutenant Sibley, a young army officer who has fallen in love with Mabel, asks the major for her hand. Feeling it to be his duty, Dean informs Sibley of the girl's past. The surgeon declares it is his belief that Mabel is the daughter of Sergeant Whitney, and that Lorenzo is the man who enticed her from home. So great is his love, that Sibley vows to marry Mabel in spite of what has happened. Unknown to the two, Whitney has overheard the story. Mad with hate, he seeks Lorenzo. Unaware of his impending doom, Lorenzo resolves to make one supreme effort to regain Mabel. Seated by his window, the man fixes his mind upon Mabel with every ounce of power he possesses. Although fast asleep, the girl's mind receives the command sent forth by her former master. As though in a trance, she dons her clothes. Again the sense of danger overcomes Major Dean. He hastens towards Mabel's room. Just at this instant, Whitney enters Lorenzo's room. The rage-maddened father engages the gambler in a death struggle. While this combat rages, Mabel stands as though petrified. Securing possession of Whitney's revolver, Lorenzo shoots, wounding the old soldier mortally. Although he has received his death wound, Whitney's consuming hatred gives him strength to continue the struggle. A sudden twist, and the sergeant secures a vise-like grip on Lorenzo's throat. He forces the man back towards the bed. Mabel awakens with a start. In answer to Major Dean's anxious query, she replies that a bad dream had caused her to walk in her sleep. In Lorenzo's room, Whitney draws back from the silent form on the bed. The soldier attempts to reach the door, but his strength fails. The man staggers and crumples to the floor.

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Anna Granger's husband commits a fraud at the bank where he works and is condemned to pay the penalty of a jail sentence. In the hope of proving his innocence she goes to work, under an assumed name, for the President of the closed bank. This man is now indicted himself, though unjustly, and employs detectives who finally unearth a letter positively establishing the guilt of Granger. In spite of everything, Anna remains faithful until she learns that the theft her husband committed was to get money for another woman. Then comes a sudden climax which puts an end to a situation which she could not possibly endure.

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Despite her love for penniless Dirck Mead, Lorraine marries wealthy Aaron Roth to save her family from financial ruin. Roth is a swindler and when trying to escape the wrath of the law, he jumps from a ship and is declared dead. Mead, now a diamond magnate, finds Lorraine in New York, marries her and takes her to live in South Africa, where, as it happens, Roth, who survived his leap from the ship, is currently conducting his shady business. Roth discovers Lorraine's situation and threatens her with exposure, and Lorraine is about to leave Mead when she learns of Roth's plan to steal a valuable diamond that Mead is escorting to the city. Summoning help, Lorraine reaches Mead in time to thwart the robbery. Roth is killed in the fight, and Lorraine is spared the task of resolving her marital status.

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For the first time in her life Katherine Silverton--Kitty to her friends--hesitated about spending carfare to ride six blocks to the law office of her godfather, John Travers. She was not used to walking and she didn't intend to start just because her money supply was short and she faced a future which threatened economy of the strictest sort. Kitty's father had died leaving her practically nothing. She sought the advice of Mr. Travers. At the moment she entered the outer office, Mr. Travers had a perplexing problem on his hands. He was attorney for a large estate, the heir to which, Lord Reginald Belsize, had that morning arrived in New York to claim his inheritance. Lord Reginald was young, good-looking and ambitious to marry Mme. Helen de Semiano. Mme. Helen saw a favored match in Lord Reginald, who was soon to be wealthy, and her young-spendthrift brother Jack Churchill encouraged the match. But certain provisions of the will perplexed Mr. Travers. They also perplexed Lord Reginald. It was stipulated that Lord Reginald was to marry within a year or lose his inheritance; it further was stipulated that he was not to marry an actress. Lord Reginald didn't see how it could be arranged as he had brought Mme. Helen and her brother to New York. Mr. Travers suggested that he marry someone else first, leave her after the wedding and in six months she will obtain a divorce on grounds of desertion, making you free to marry whom you please. Then Kitty entered the office. Kitty assented to the proposition readily. She had the promise of a large sum of money, a quick divorce, and a chance to look around the world. But Kitty was very attractive and pretty, and Lord Reginald said that if Mme. Helen, who had reluctantly agreed to the arrangement, should see such an attractive young woman, she would refuse her consent. But resourceful Kitty rearranged her hair, put on a gingham apron, rolled up her sleeves, and made herself into a most unpromising person. Mme. Helen passed approval, not knowing the hoax. The ceremony was quickly performed and Lord Reginald and his bride left to be gone for several months until Kitty had gained her divorce. Meanwhile the jealousy of Mme. Helen was discouraging Lord Reginald, so one day he went to Long Island where Kitty was living. Realizing her opportunity, Kitty did everything within her power to make him happy. When Mme. Helen arrived, having followed Lord Reginald, the latter told her the time had come for the parting of their ways. Kitty, he said, was the woman he loved, and Kitty admitted that she loved him.

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Sue Wells husband Tom works as a shepherd, is sick of being poor, living in the shadow of Mr. and Mrs. James Peabody's opulent estate. When the Peabodys leave for a vacation, Sue and Tom carry out a check fraud scheme and take advantage of a loophole in the Peabody's lease, resulting in their becoming the owners of the estate. However, living in the mansion does little to make Sue happy, and when James returns and discovers what she and her husband have done, he kills Tom. He is about to murder Sue, too, when she wakes up, and realizes that her life as a wealthy landowner has been only a dream. James then enters, and announces that he has made Tom the estate manager, which forever ends Sue's financial worries.

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Lady Jocelyn, a favorite in the court of England's King James, escapes a forced marriage to the hated Lord Carnal by fleeing to American colonies. There she meets and marries Captain Ralph Percy. Pursued by Lord Carnal, Lady Jocelyn and her new husband eventually find themselves shipwrecked on a desert island with Lord Carnal. A band of pirates finds them there, and Captain Percy convinces them that he is himself a notorious pirate chief. But Lord Carnal casts them all into danger by revealing Percy's true identity.