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The Master of the House Synopsis

The husband is bored to death by years of association with his wife, whom he deems old-fashioned and settled. A governess, young and beautiful, comes to the house. The father, master of the house in every sense of the word, is infatuated with the governess's description of life in the city where one remains young even at four-score years. Many conversations occur between the man and the governess, and one day he tells his wife that he is tired of her and that he is going away to the city with a younger and prettier woman. Time passes and the master of the house sees the other side of the governess. Her family is a lot of parasites who live on him. The man, broken in health, his spirit revolting against present conditions, feels a longing away down in his heart for his old-fashioned wife and their three children and the old home that is a home. In a frenzied burst of anger he strikes her, casts aside the woman and the unpleasant associations with her and, older, wiser, sadder and penitent, he returns to his wife and fireside.

Behind Closed Doors Synopsis

Inez Valenti is the niece of Grant Thorne, who runs a gambling house. She acts as a lure for her uncle's den. Barry King becomes infatuated with her, and this gives her a violent aversion to the life she has been living "behind closed doors." Elsa Montford, daughter of the Judge, is saddened by King's attentions to Inez. Thorne also becomes jealous of King. They fight in the gambling house; Thorne is shot, and King throwing the pistol away, runs, but is caught. Elsa has seen the affair and tells her father who takes her to the police station, where she identifies Barry among the other prisoners. Inez is in despair when she learns that there was a witness to the affair whom the State has in charge, and refuses to leave the city while he is in danger. She sends for Elsa, and tries to bribe her to keep silent, but on refusal offers her a glass of wine which has been drugged, but Elsa breaks the glass and escapes. Inez tries to get Barry to jump his bail, but Elsa pleads with him to stay and fight it out. He agrees and writes to Inez telling her he loves Elsa. Inez, in despair, writes out a full confession of her life, and declares that she and not Barry killed Thorne, Barry having kept silent as to having taken the pistol from her in order to avoid incriminating her. Elsa reads the confession. When she has finished she phones to the district attorney and together they go to Inez's room where they find her a suicide.