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Dust Synopsis

Marion Moore's sweetheart, Frank Kenyon, a young author interested in social reform, discovering that Marion's father is the owner of the worst factory in the city, pleads with her to persuade him to make better working conditions. Marion refuses. The season's society event is an entertainment for the benefit of the Belgian War Victims. Marian is to play "Humanity." That day, Mina, a child working in the factory, has her hand mangled in a machine. Frank learns of the accident from Bud and determines to bring the lesson home to Marian. He bribes her chauffeur to drive Marian to Mina's home. Marian is forced to enter the house with him. They find Mina alone and almost unconscious from an overdose of an opiate. The only hope of saving the child is by keeping her awake until he can summon medical aid. He orders Marian to walk the girl until he returns. Then he dashes away in the machine. Marian, seeing another machine approaching, leaves the child, and persuades the owner to drive her to the entertainment. When Frank returns, Mina is past saving. Wild with rage, he sets out for the entertainment. Marian has just achieved a great success when he arrives. He creates a sensation by mounting the platform and scathingly denouncing the shallow society people before him. Marian later hands him back his ring. He drives her by force to Mina's home. Marian is taken aback when she discovers that the animal mother is not weeping for love of Mina, but she wonders how she will ever pay for a cheap piano now that Mina's wages will no longer be forthcoming. Marian promises to attend to the payments. Marian laughs scornfully at Frank. Frank determines to wage a relentless war against Moore until conditions are modified. As champion of the working people, he is elected to the legislature. Frank introduces his bill for better factories. After much excitement, it is passed. Since the accident to Mina, Bud has been working to perfect a number of safety devices. With the idea of cheating the boy, Moore goes with him to a cabinet at one end of the building to look them over. Meanwhile a blaze has started. Soon the flimsy structure is ablaze. Marian escapes with the girls, hut Moore and Bud are trapped in the cabinet. From the roof of an adjoining building Frank throws a rope to the factory, where it fastens around a cornice. Then he makes his way hand over hand across the rope to the burning building, breaks through a skylight, and lowers a rope to Bud. Moore shoves the boy aside. Frank, angered, lowers the rope again for Bud. Moore rushes to the edge of the building. But as he hangs midway, the flames reach the rope, and he plunges to his death. A few weeks later the newspapers announce large gifts to charity from an anonymous source. Through Bud he discovers that it is Marian. The picture closes as she agrees to face the future with him.

The Inner Struggle Synopsis

Dr. Grant, in charge of a leper colony in the far Pacific, had once loved a beautiful girl, Myra Hamilton. Then she met Harry Elliot, a dissipated young society man. Dared by the boys, Harry proposed to Myra. Grant warned her of Harry's character, but she would not listen. Myra and Harry visit Grant's laboratory, where she learns of the vivisection experiment Grant was working on. She bitterly berated him for his cruelty to his canine subject. While Grant explained to her, Harry chloroformed the dog. Grant, furious at this ruthless destruction of his months of labor, resolved that Harry would pay. Myra announced her engagement to Harry a few nights later. Myra soon found that she had a hopeless task before her in trying to reform Harry. One day she overheard Grant remonstrate with him for his actions in causing her pain, and she began to appreciate his nobility. Again she saw Harry with a cabaret singer. Overwhelmed with grief, she determined to see Grant and obtain comfort from him. Myra noticed that Harry was inclined to be jealous, and discussed with Grant a plan to bring him to his senses. Grant was to pay ardent court to Myra. Soon Harry began to notice Grant's attention to his wife. He found them together one day, and wild with rage, left a note stating that they would find his body at the country home. Grant raced after Harry to the country house. Harry, with an oath, rose and struck him, and cursed Myra. Grant, bleeding, made his way to the telephone, called up Myra, and told her he would bring Harry back to her a man. Grant then brought him to an insane asylum and showed him the ruin drink caused. After weeks of hard work Grant felt that Harry was ready for the test. He deliberately placed temptation in his way, but Harry conquered. And so Grant brought him back to Myra. She forgave him. Grant then quietly left. Soon Myra looked for him to thank him. He showed her a letter which stated that his application as physician at the leper colony had been accepted, and he left at once. Sometime later Grant received a letter from Myra asking him to come back to her as Harry had died. His first impulse was to go, but when he realized his mission he burned the letter.