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Mrs. Balfame Synopsis

Mrs. Balfame is the social leader of the small town of Elsinore, and David Balfame, her husband, is the political leader, a drunken loutish man his wife has hated during their sixteen years of married life. While attending a club meeting Mrs. Balfame listens to a speech by Dr. Anna Steuer, her friend, stating that many of the women on the other side are glad to be rid of their beasts of husbands who made war possible. Later in her home Dr. Steuer shows Mrs. Balfame an untraceable poison. With these two facts in her mind, and urged on by a disgraceful scene at the Country Club caused by Mr. Balfame's drunkenness, Mrs. Balfame decides to kill her husband. Meanwhile, Mr. Balfame has wandered into Old Dutch's saloon and insults the proprietor and his son, Conrad, and also arouses the ire of a tough young man who is dancing with a girl. Discovering that he must go to Albany on political business he phones Mrs. Balfame and asks her to fix him a bracer and pack his grip. She replies that a glass of lemonade and aromatic ammonia will be left on the table for him. Mr. Balfame, still drunk, then starts for home, followed by the young man from Old Dutch's. Mrs. Balfame make a glass of lemonade, putting in the poison, and places it on the table. Then, discovering a man lurking on the grounds, she takes a revolver and hurries out to scare him off. Frieda, the maid of all work, sees Mrs. Balfame leave the house. As Balfame nears the house there is a shot and he falls. Mrs. Balfame rushes in and, still watched by Frieda, pours out the lemonade and rinses out the glass. On the testimony of Frieda and Conrad Mrs. Balfame is arrested, charged with her husband's death. Dwight Rush, a young lawyer who has long been in love with Mrs. Balfame, represents her. Mrs. Balfame does not love Rush, but promises to marry him if he obtains her freedom. Alys Crumley, a young artist, is in love with Rush, and through her jealousy of Mrs. Balfame tells of the conversation she overheard in which Dr. Steuer told Mrs. Balfame of the poison. Dr. Steuer is called as a witness, but is sick in a hospital, and from her dying bed makes a confession that she shot and killed Mr. Balfame because she could no longer see her dear friend abused by the brute. Rush finds his love for Mrs. Balfame has been diminishing as his interest in Alys is strengthened, but goes to claim Mrs. Balfame after the acquittal. Realizing the disparity in their ages, she sends him to seek happiness with Alys Crumley.

The Witch Synopsis

Dr. Fernandez is believed by Mendoza, the military governor of Mexico, to possess hypnotic powers. Mendoza is in love with Dr. Fernandez's daughter Zora. When Zora displays no love for him, Mendoza assumes that the father is responsible for the failure of his suit. So great becomes the hatred between the two that when a faction of insurrectionists arises, the doctor places himself at its head and leads it against the Government. Dr. Fernandez is killed in battle. Meanwhile, the Governor's daughter Dolores suffers from somnambulism. While she is anxious to be cure, she dislikes to inform her father or her lover that she is so afflicted. Finally her old nurse makes the fact known to Zora, who possesses the hypnotic power that was her father's. Dolores submits to treatment at Zora's hands and is cured, Zora unaware that Dolores is engaged to Riques--Zora's sweetheart. When she does learn that the wedding day is set, she goes into a rage and contrives to get into the palace by night and hypnotizes Dolores. Shortly thereafter, Zora is denounced as a witch and carried away by an angry mob to be burned at the stake. Just before the torch is applied, the old nurse makes known to the Governor that his daughter has the habit of sleepwalking and is in a trance from which she cannot be roused. She also informs him that only person who can cure Dolores is Zora. At the last instant, the Governor stays the burning of Zora and promises her freedom if she will bring Dolores from her lethargic state. Zora, believing that the Governor is acting in good faith, goes to the palace and awakens Dolores. When she is found to be safe, the Governor goes back on his word and commits Zora to prison. She escapes, however, and Riques, who realizes that he loves Zora more than Dolores, runs away with her. The two are captured after a fight, and in the end Zora is put to death.