Compare Films

The Better Woman Synopsis

Kate Tripler, the motherless uneducated daughter of the proprietor of a small hotel in a western town, is full of sentiment and has a craving for love. Frank Barclay, a young civil engineer, loved by Aline Webster, comes to the town to build a railroad bridge. Kate meets him at her father's hotel and tries to attract his attention, but he disregards her. Frank saves the life of Jim Travers, an engineer on the bridge, and they become friends. Kate, trying to make Frank jealous, flirts with Jim, but only amuses Frank. Frank tells Jim of his love and shows him pictures of Aline and her sister, Alicia, saying nothing of his preference. Jim goes east, meets the girls, falls in love with Alicia, marries her and plans a surprise for Frank. A newspaper makes a mistake and says he has married Aline. She writes to Frank telling him of the error. Kate gets the mail at the hotel, reads the letter and destroys it, giving the paper to Frank, who takes the story as truth, gets drunk, makes love to Kate, out of spite, asks Kate to marry him and after a rush for a license, they are married. Recovering from his drunken fit, he is horrified to find what he has done, and has a quarrel with Kate. Jim and his wife, with Aline and her father, arrive at the town and the mistake is cleared up. Frank leaves the cabin. Kate sees him meet Aline, and is about to shoot her when she hears Aline tell Frank to go back to his wife. Frank's father dies and he takes his wife back to New York with him, where she learns to be more like the people he associates with. Aline flirts with Frank, but Kate keeps on with her efforts to improve. Later, at a new big job in the west, where all are gathered, there is a labor riot. Aline shows cowardice and Kate surprises Frank by her bravery. Kate determines to be fair, tells Frank about the letter, and they quarrel, Frank leaving. Kate sends a note saying she will go out of his life, and Aline leaves one saying that a divorce will make everything all right. Going to the station, Kate sees strikers planning to blow up the works. Aline has an appointment with Frank, keeps it on the bridge, and is ordered away by Kate, who threatens her. Aline flees. Frank sees Kate's danger and calls her to come back. The explosion injures Kate, and as Aline is comforted by her sister, Frank finds Kate in the ruins, sees that she is the better woman, and tells her that it is she he wants, not Aline. Kate knows that her punishment is ended.

Hearts and Flowers Synopsis

Tom, the son of John and Mary Landers, an old-fashioned country couple is in love with a pretty country girl, who is also being courted by Walter Terry. Tom surprises the latter making violent love to her and, crazed with jealousy, strikes Walter and in the fight that ensues Tom accidentally pushes Walter over the edge of a cliff. Fearing that he had killed his rival, Tom leaves the farm for the city. Unable to secure a position there, he appeals to his mother, who sends him money. He finally secures a position with Grant and Co., stockbrokers. The Wall Street fever soon gets the better of him and he tries his luck in the stock market. Being successful in his first venture, he plans to make a fortune. He writes his mother informing her that he has an opportunity to go into a good business for himself and begs of her a loan of $1,000. The devoted mother having faith in Tom's promise of a speedy return of the money, takes the money which they had saved to pay off the mortgage on the farm. Tom loses it in speculations and is ashamed to reply to his mother's appeals for the promised return of the money. Meanwhile, Pa Landers is killed by an accidental discharge of his gun while out hunting. The poor widow is now unable to meet the payment of the mortgage and is forced to leave the old home. Miss Elsa Norman, a society girl in the city, is attacked by a thief, but is rescued by Tom and a close friendship is the result of this incident, which later develops into mutual love. Tom's mother arriving in the city visits him in his office. He is ashamed of her appearance and takes her to a boarding house in the suburbs and asks her not to call on him. Terribly hurt at the indifference of her son, she resolves never to annoy him again. Alone in her grief she is forced to move to a poor tenement house. She visits daily the lobby of Tom's office building, where she is seen one day by Elsa Norman, who in deep sympathy for the poor old woman gives her a bunch of violets, not knowing she is the mother of the man she loves. Ma Landers' money gone, she is in actual want and is overcome one day by weakness and faints in front of the building, where she is picked up by Elsa and her chauffeur and carried to her miserable lodging. There she tells her story to Elsa, who is horrified to learn that the old lady is Tom's mother; Elsa 'phones Tom to come at once and he is brought face to face with the terrible result of the neglect of his mother. Elsa touched by the heroic acceptance of the old lady's sad fate, purchases the old farm and presents it to her. Tom returns to the old homestead and in a touching love scene which follows Ma Landers forgives Tom, who wins back Elsa's love.