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Unto Those Who Sin Synopsis

Nadia, a poorly-paid stenographer, works in offices adjoining those where Mabel, her girl chum is employed. Nadia wears shabby clothing. Mabel is resplendent in beautiful garments. Nadia's father, a drunkard, forces the pay envelope from her hand, and the mother resorts with other men. "What's the use," says Nadia, when she is forced to contribute to satisfy her father's appetite for liquor, and sees her mother flaunt her shame. And so she listens to the urgings of Mabel that she become one to a party of four at Mabel's luxurious home. That night when Nadia leaves the office she goes to Mabel's flat, dons Mabel's finery and there meets Ashton, a wealthy rounder. She tastes liquor for the first time, wears a fine gown for the first time and dines for the first time in a questionable cabaret. In natural consequence, Nadia leaves her home and becomes a friend of Ashton. As time passes, Nadia learns the power of her beauty, and as Ashton's health declines, she schemes to secure his riches. She finally induces Ashton to purchase her a fine home. Stricken with heart disease, the man dies. A month later Nadia closes her beautiful town house and repairs to a fashionable seaside resort where she meets Amos Lawlor and Jules Villars, wealthy bachelors. She also meets Phillip Morton, a young businessman, who is in love with Isobel Warren. Nadia, when she meets Philip, meets the first man she has ever loved. Phillip's infatuation for Nadia grows, and when the siren finally resolves to leave the seashore Phillip follows her, emulating the example of the two aged suitors, Lawlor and Villars. At Nadia's town house, the woman is puzzled as to what method to use to keep secret from Phillip Morton, the admiration so openly shown for her by the two aged suitors. The woman is torn betwixt the love of gold as typified by the two old men and the passionate love she holds for Phillip. She carefully hides from Phillip the fact that she is anything but pure and innocent. What shall she do? Shall she be satisfied as the wife of Phillip with but his love? One day the question is settled. Nadia discards Villars and submits to the attentions of Lawlor, who has the most money. Nadia plots to keep Lawlor and Phillip Morton, both constant callers at her home, from meeting one another. Phillip arrives unannounced one day and discovers Nadia in the arms of another. Then it is that he spurns the woman, and later woos and wins Isobel Warren. Nadia, answering the lure of gold, marries Lawlor, but she never forgets her passion for Phillip. As time passes, Phillip Morton is ordered to South America. When Nadia reads in a newspaper of Morton's intended journey, she compels her aged husband to take her there. In South America Phillip Morton and Nadia meet again. Morton has long since lost all his infatuation for the siren, a fact which causes Nadia to long more passionately for the love of the man whom she has sacrificed for the lure of gold. Desperately the woman hits upon a scheme. She writes Phillip a note asking him to call at the hotel. Before his arrival Nadia garbs herself voluptuously. When Phillip, enticed by a subterfuge, enters Nadia's private apartments in the hotel, she exerts every woman's wile to win him to her. But she is unsuccessful in winning him. However she does not give up and conceives an idea that Phillip Morton may be tempted to divorce his wife and marry her should her aged husband die. The woman entices her aged husband to the top of a cliff, where she pushes him off, intending that he meet his death that way. Unknown to Nadia Lawlor is rescued by a beachcomber. The old man, burning with the desire for vengeance, begins his slow and painful climb up the cliff side. Phillip, walking along the cliff, again encounters Nadia. Again the woman pleads with him. Her flushed face with its uncanny beauty presses close to Phillip. He again spurns the woman and turns away. Nadia stands wondering there at the brink of the precipice. She finally realizes that her life has been in vain. She turns to leave the place. As she turns, she encounters the form of her aged husband. In quavering tones the old man accuses his wife of attempting to murder him. In a last desperate attempt to shut out the horrid spectacle from her sight and mind, Nadia again shoves the doddering old man to his death. He falls, but as he does so, he clutches Nadia's hair with his hands, and she, too, is dragged over the precipice and falls with Lawlor to death on the rocks below.

Forgiven; or, the Jack of Diamonds Synopsis

While on a winter's trip in Florida, sailing on the St. John River, John Diamond with the sobriquet of the Jack of Diamonds, has as a traveling companion Daniel Peabody, known as Denver Dan, a type of the old-time western gentleman gambler. Jack discovers some card sharks cheating Willard Graham. Taking a hand in the game, he wins back and returns to Graham his money. Annie Dennison and her Aunt Cordelia are on a southern trip. Willard Graham is a suitor for Annie's hand. Jack becomes the hero of the trip by heroically plunging overboard and saving a little child, Virginia Bell. This attracts Annie's attention to Jack. Later at St. Augustine Jack and Annie see much of each other to the chagrin of Graham and Aunt Cordelia, who does not like Jack, and who constantly snubs Denver Dan, who tries to win her love. Graham receives a letter from Texas, warning him to look out for Frank Popham. Some years before, Graham, while a guest at Popham's house, had robbed Popham of his wife and then cast her aside. Popham, who has become a derelict, sees Graham in the park of the hotel with Annie and tries to stab him. Graham overpowers Popham and gives him money to return to Texas, pretending to Popham that his wife still lives. Graham sends a note to Annie that her lover is the notorious Jack O'Diamonds. This is a shock to Annie, but Jack begs of her to hear his story. Jack recites, and in a dissolve we see how his parents lost their fortune in a Wall Street panic. Jack is lucky at cards and becomes wealthy. He promises that if Annie will marry him he will swear off gambling forever. Annie accepts. Seven years later Jack is at home in Jacksonville, and they are blessed with a daughter, Leonie. Fortune, however, has been against him, but he steadily holds to his promise not to gamble. Graham has been a frequent visitor, awaiting the chance to ruin Jack. This he does by exposing him to the head of the railroad company, of which Jack is an employee, as the former notorious gambler, Jack O'Diamonds. Jack is discharged. He refuses financial aid from Graham and Denver Dan, and secures a job as night watchman, but is ashamed to tell Annie. Receiving an offer to go into the cattle business in Texas, Jack starts from home, but misses his train. Graham, meanwhile, has told Annie that Jack has gambled each night, and persuades Annie to go with him and he will prove this. As they are about to leave, Jack returns and, believing that Annie is faithless, draws his pistol to shoot Graham, but decides to give him his life and Graham departs. Jack goes upstairs while Annie takes Leonie and leaves. Ten years later Jack is wealthy and owns a cattle ranch in Texas, and has Denver Dan as his companion. When on their way with cattle to Santa Clara, Jack saves a young woman from an attack of a Mexican named Pedro, though he fails to recognize that she is his daughter. Pedro is sent from the village store with a package to the school teacher, Leonie's mother. Stopping at his shack on the way, he, while eating, reads a newspaper personal, offering a reward for information about Mrs. Annie Diamond and signed by Willard Graham, of Jacksonville. Noticing the same name on the package, he inquires when delivering the package to Annie if she is not the Mrs. Annie Diamond of Jacksonville. Seeing her recoil from the query, Pedro writes to Graham that the one he advertises for is at Santa Clara. When Graham receives this letter he departs for Santa Clara at once. Jack and Dan, while at the Santa Clara Hotel, meet Popham, who is an outcast and wreck. Jack gives him money after hearing his story of how Graham had ruined Popham's life and home. Graham arrives at Santa Clara some time later, and meets Pedro. He leaves hotel tor Pedro's shack and is followed by Popham, who recognizes Graham at the hotel. He follows and tries to stab Graham at Pedro's shack, but the Mexican intervenes and assaults Popham, who staggers into a settler's cabin exhausted. Graham calls upon Annie at her home, and she is frightened on seeing him. Jack, when making a second trip to town, again aids Leonie, who has fallen from her horse. Jack is surprised when she says her name is Leonie Diamond, and he then recognizes her as his daughter. Leonie brings him to the gate of her home and enters the house to tell her mother how she was saved and to come out and meet her rescuer. Graham is still in the parlor. There is mutual recognition, but Jack holds the loving advances of his wife in abeyance. Half crazed at Jack's treatment, and that Graham is in the house. He goes, but says he will return again. Jack and Graham reach the house late that afternoon at the same time; they draw their guns to shoot each other. Denver Dan intervenes. Jack challenges Graham to a duel at sunset. Graham arranges with Pedro to stab Jack on the dueling ground. Denver Dan goes to Annie's home and demands that she stop the duel. Annie sees Jack at the hotel, but Jack will not agree to stop the fight. Dan is left alone with Aunt Cordelia, and gets her consent to wed. Graham and Pedro on the way to the duel pass the settle's cabin, when Popham, near death, sees Graham, struggles from the couch, takes the shotgun from the wall and follows Graham and Pedro. Annie arrives home distracted, and leaves with Dan and Cordelia for the scene of the duel. Jack has proceeded there, meets Graham and they pace off to turn and fire. Pedro is seen sneaking up to stab Jack in the back. Denver Dan arrives at the dueling grounds at this time, sees Pedro and draws his revolver and shoots the Mexican in the wrist. Popham is then seen dragging a shotgun through the brush. Jack turns when hearing the sound of Denver Dan's gun, and as he does, Graham starts to fire at Jack. Popham fires and hits Graham. Before dying, Graham confesses that Annie is innocent and Annie is forgiven by Jack.