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A Gentleman from Mississippi Synopsis

William H. Langdon has been elected senator from Mississippi, and reaches the national capital with the experience in big politics that might be expected of a man who has lived his life on a plantation forty miles from a railroad. With him are his two fair daughters, Carolina and Hope. He has scarcely reached his hotel when he hires "Bud" Haines, a newspaper man, as his secretary. Charles Norton, representative from Mississippi, James Stevens, senior Senator, and Horatio Peabody, senator from Pennsylvania, are interested in a scheme to have a naval station located at Altacola, Miss., and they need the assistance of the new senator. They have purchased all the land in the neighborhood and plan to dispose of it to the government at their own price after the bill is put through. In order to insure his support Norton induces Langdon's son to invest $30,000 in Altacola and also puts in the fortune left the Senator's daughter by her mother. He is the girl's accepted suitor, by the way. Haines, in the meantime, has been a thorn in the side of the crooks, but by reporting to each that the other has played false and invested money in the land project, they bring about an estrangement between him and Langdon, which is set right by Hope Langdon telling Haines, with whom she is in love, of the plot. Langdon and Haines find they have been duped and the man from Mississippi decides to balk the thieves, even if it ruins his family. The story comes to a right ending by Langdon stepping into the Senate to make his maiden speech, denouncing the intended fraud, and declaring that he and the conspirators bought up the land to save the national treasury from being looted after having discovered a conspiracy in another quarter to commit the holdup. Before this important event he has compelled the two rascally senators to come to his way of thinking through fear of exposure. Congressman Norton is sent on his way in disgrace. Haines, again secretary, is engaged to wed Hope.

Philip Holden - Waster Synopsis

Philip, a young dilettante, is a great disappointment to his brother, Miles, in whose home he is living when the story opens. Louise Holden, wife of Miles, labors valiantly to interest her dreamy young brother-in-law in something besides literature, but fails in this until, after great urging, Philip is induced to attend a bridge party given at the house. This marks the turning point in his career, for among the fashionable people in his brother's drawing room, he is presented to Helen Landon, daughter of a wealthy banker. In the moment that Philip looks into Helen's eyes, he loses interest in the book he is trying to write, and falls deeply in love with the girl. But he dares not tell her in so many words of his love, for just a few hours before they met, he was informed that his account is overdrawn at the bank. Miles denounces Philip as a waster, doomed to a miserable end. Helen's father, Robert Landon, is in league with Miles to corner a certain mining stock, D.L. and B. Their intention is to hammer the stock until nobody wants it and then buy into the concern on some inside information they have obtained as to its real value. Pushed to consideration of material matters by the constant urgings of his brother, and by the necessity for bestirring himself if he is ever to meet his beloved Helen on equal terms financially, Philip starts out looking for work. The dabbler in literature announces to the head of a big business concern that he wants a job at $6,000 a year as a starter, making himself ridiculous. The young fellow is turned away wherever he goes, until, entering the office of a mining stock shark, he finds an opportunity to sell stock on commission, taking his commissions in stock, which the promoter himself believes worthless. Philip carries a collection of pictures of the mine location with which to sell stock. He expounds to wealthy women on the beauty of the scenery surrounding the mine property, and with extraordinary good luck, sells the stock like hot cakes. Then comes a surprise; the promoter receives a telegram, which apprises him that large quantities of ore have been uncovered. The stock that Philip has been carrying round in his pocket is now worth a fortune. While trying to talk to his fiancée - for by this time he has proposed to Helen Landon - he overhears a plot between his supercilious banker brother and Landon, Helen's father, to corner the market in D.L. and B. stock. Philip enters the stock market against the two plotters and buys the mining stock as fast as they hammer it down, obtaining it practically at his own figure before Landon and the elder Holden realize that they have been caught short. In this dilemma they discover that much of the stock they have been selling has fallen into the hands of Philip, and Landon telephones in desperation to his putative son-in-law to "come on over." Philip is appealed to by the two market-riggers to let them have enough of his stock to cover their shortage. Copying the superior air of his brother, Philip keeps them on the anxious seat for a time, but finally yields, with the smiling consent of Helen.