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The Sporting Duchess Synopsis

Lord Desborough and Captain Mostyn, both officers in the same regiment, are suitors for the hand of Muriel. Desborough wins and marries her, and thereby incurs the everlasting enmity of his rival. Their regiment is ordered to India, where Desborough falls under the wiles of an adventuress named Vivian Darville. His flirtation is duly reported to the absent wife by Mostyn, and the resultant future trouble between husband and wife, is fanned into flame by the jealousy of Rupert Lee, a young officer whom Vivian has driven to drink by her broken promises. On the return of the regiment to England the Desboroughs open their magnificent home, Desborough Hall, where in spite of the fact that Desborough is on the verge of bankruptcy, expensive entertainments are given under the patronage of the Countess, known as "The Sporting Duchess," because her aspirations are in the direction of hunting, horse racing and other phases of sporting life, rather than the less exciting functions of society. She is a woman of great wealth, keeps a large racing stable, and her liking for Desborough causes her to back his horse, Clipstone, for the Derby, as against King of Trumps, who is Mostyn's entry. Deciding to take unto herself a young husband, she selects Dr. Streatfield, a young army surgeon of fickle temperament, who has become engaged to Vivian Darville on the voyage home from England, and whom he introduces into the Desborough circle, only to find that his true affinity is Annette, daughter of Colonel Donnelly. Vivian's interest, however, goes no further than to be introduced into society through her engagement to Streatfield, and once under the Desborough roof, she begins to aid the villainous Mostyn in effecting a separation between the Desboroughs. This will open the way to Mostyn's attentions to Muriel, and at the same time secure revenge for Desborough's casting her off in India. But there is in the household, as nurse for the Desborough heir, Harold, Mary Aylmer, daughter of Desborough's stable trainer, whom Mostyn has betrayed under promise of marriage. She exacts fulfillment of that promise, and the plotters decide to remove her from the field of action at once. Mary reveals her condition to Muriel, who consults Desborough, and he writes her a letter stating that he will provide for her future, but cannot, of course, retain her in his household as preceptress to his own son. At the same time he also writes a letter to Vivian Darville, asking that their former relations be forgotten, and that she no longer should remain in his home, to disturb the restored tender relations between his wife and him. Mary shows the Desborough letter to Mostyn, who promises to do what he can for her in a secret way, at the same time retaining the letter. Going with it to Vivian, she shows him the letter she has received, and the method of parting the Desboroughs is at once revealed. The headings of both letters are torn away, substituting for each other, and two letters are the result, which furnish evidence of Desborough's guilt both with Mary and Vivian. Muriel already prepared by Mostyn for certain compromising disclosures, is shown the letter, believes that her husband is doubly false to her and accepts Mostyn's offer to act as her escort to London, followed by the irate husband. Mostyn takes Muriel to an out-of-the-way inn, where his perfidy is revealed, for she now discovers that his only motive in removing her from her home was to further his own evil designs. She tries to escape from her prison, and a struggle between them is interrupted by Desborough, who administers a severe beating to Mostyn, and informs Muriel that he will at once begin an action for separation. This action results in a sweeping verdict for Desborough. In spite of the earnest efforts of "The Sporting Duchess" and other good friends, and he is given the custody of the child. Harold, a heart-breaking interview taking place in the court chambers. Following his event the affairs of Desborough grow from bad to worse, and even his stable is to be sold. Including the great Clipstone, favorite for the Derby. Believing that Desborough is the betrayer of his daughter, the faithful trainer, Aylmer, deserts him, taking with him Dick Hammond, the lover of Mary, who was to be the mount for Clipstone. The days of sale for the Desborough stable is announced, and to save for Desborough his one hope to recoup his shattered fortunes, his friends decide to raise a fund for the purchase of Clipstone. But their efforts are unavailing, the sum subscribed is not sufficient, and "The Sporting Duchess" is appealed to by Doctor Streatfield and Annette Donnelly to buy the horse herself. Replying that she buys expensive horses only for her husband, the young people magnanimously decide to break the engagement of marriage between them, and the doctor becomes the affianced husband of the Duchess. At the sale the Duchess buys Clipstone; he wins the Derby and nothing is left for Mostyn but to leave the array and retire into solitude with his fellow plotter, Vivian Darville. The unfortunate Rupert Lee, In the cottage where he has been living with Vivian, overhears the interview between Mostyn and Vivian and determines to revenge himself by making atonement for his share in the plots against the Desboroughs, which is done by producing the two Desborough letters with the proper headings supplied. Accordingly the Desboroughs are reunited, the erring Mary is forgiven by her faithful lover, and "The Sporting Duchess," deciding that it is best to be the doctor's mother instead of his wife, restores him to the unhappy Annette Donnelly.

The District Attorney Synopsis

Matthews Brainerd, a wealthy contractor and head of a grafting political gang, has formulated a plan for a great scoop from the City Treasury in the form of the forging of city warrants. This is hanging fire, however, because his chief minions, McGrath and Williams, have been unable to find someone who would be willing to stand trial for the crime for a sum of money. The stool pigeon is eventually found in the person of Frank Pierson, a clerk in the Warrant Office, who is betrothed to Helen Knight, but their marriage has been many times postponed on account of his inability to improve her condition in life. Tempted by McGrath and Williams, Pierson agrees to stand trial for the crime for the sum of $50,000, with the understanding that after serving a few months in the penitentiary the ring will exert its influence to have him pardoned. A meeting occurs between Pierson and the gang, and instead of a cash payment he demands five notes for $10,000 each, and these he entrusts for safe keeping with Mrs. Varrick, his lodging housekeeper, until such time as he shall be discharged from prison. But the gang decide that in order to secure their own future safely their victim must be kept out of the way, and three years elapse without anything having been done toward the release of Pierson. He writes to Helen to interest herself in his case, and at the same time makes his story known to General Ruggles, editor of a great reform newspaper, who has been for some time conducting a bitter fight against the ring, and both seek to have the case reopened through the district attorney. This is no less a person than Brainerd's son-in-law, John Stratton, elected to the office through the influence of Brainerd and his gang. After many attempts to secure an interview with Stratton, Helen interests him in her case, with the assistance of his wife, and Stratton decides to bring Pierson before the Grand Jury to prove his allegation that he was the victim of a plot. To keep Helen from being tampered with by the agents of the gang, she is made a visitor in the Brainerd home, and while there receives a letter from Frank Pierson, telling her to proceed at once to Mrs. Varrick's, secure the papers which will prove his innocence, and deliver them to the district attorney. The ring is plunged into a lever of dread lest its members be exposed through the efforts of Ruggles and the district attorney, and the most desperate plan of action is determined upon. McGrath is entrusted with the duty of expunging the pages of the trial from the court records, while Williams is sent to Sing Sing to "get to" Pierson. But the district attorney has given orders that no one is to be allowed to see the prisoner without an order from him, and in lieu of an interview with Pierson, Williams secures from the letter clerk of the prison a copy of Pierson's letter to Helen giving the address of the house where the incriminating papers are concealed. Helen arrives at the house before him, however, secures the papers and takes them to the Brainerd home. Here Brainerd succeeds in convincing her that the district attorney's purpose is to see that Pierson is not to be released. She entrusts the papers with him and he burns them in the fireplace. Full of the conviction that Stratton is Pierson's enemy and Dot his friend, Helen refuses to give her evidence to the Grand Jury, and on Pierson alone devolves the onus of giving the only testimony that can clear him. He tells the story of his agreement with the gang, and when Brainerd's name is mentioned as being the head of it, he collapses in the court and is taken home in a dangerous condition. McGrath is arrested for having tampered with the court records; Williams departs for Canada, and Brainerd finally confesses that Pierson has been the innocent victim of a cruel plot. Now the crushed and broken "boss" pleads for mercy, but even his own daughter cannot bring herself to see him cleared at the expense of her husband's honor, and since Brainerd's death seems only a matter of a very short time, his arrest and trial are left for future consideration.