Summary
A luminous socialite, Roberta Lee, whose philanthropy verges on the quixotic, wagers her cloistered world on a single wager: that the leopard of crime may swap spots for gardener’s gloves. Into the manicured Eden of her father’s estate she ushers “Slippery” Bill Dorgan, a felonious wraith with fingers once more accustomed to safe-cracking than pruning roses. The experiment flickers—Bill’s resolve frays like silk in a thorn bush, and the family diamonds vanish in a midnight sigh. Fleeing scandal, Roberta retreats to an Arcadian countryside where masquerades multiply: Richard Van Stone, a mercantile prince incognito, purchases her own pilfered brooch from the repentant thief and, in a cruel twist of fate, is clapped in irons for the theft. A kidnapping snarls the plot—black-road carriages, moonlit chases—until Bill, galvanized by a conscience he thought long pawned, storms the den of vice, restores the gems, and trades his liberty for redemption. Charges dissolve, a kiss seals the future, and the erstwhile rogue walks free beneath a confetti of matrimonial vows.
Synopsis
Roberta Lee, who is concerned with reforming ex-convicts, convinces her wealthy father to hire ex-robber "Slippery" Bill Dorgan as a gardener in their home. Bill tries at first to reform himself, but soon yields to temptation and steals Roberta's jewels. To avoid publicity, Roberta takes a trip to the country, where she meets Richard Van Stone who, under an assumed identity, is conducting business for her father. Taken with Roberta, Richard unwittingly buys Roberta's own brooch from Slippery Bill, presents it to her, and is arrested for the robbery. When Roberta is kidnapped, Bill rescues her and returns the jewels, after which she drops the robbery charges and marries Richard.
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