For the Freedom of the World

Summary

In an audacious display of pre-emptive patriotism, Gordon Harvey, a scion of American wealth, casts aside his comfortable existence to enlist with the Canadian Army's American Legion, plunging headlong into the maelstrom of the Great War before his own nation's official entry. A whirlwind courtship ensues, culminating in his swift marriage to the spirited Betty Milburn. Unable to endure the impending separation, Betty, with a defiant streak befitting the era's burgeoning female agency, ingeniously disguises herself as a Red Cross nurse, surreptitiously accompanying her new husband to the blood-soaked battlefields of France. This perilous deception, however, is cruelly unmasked by Ralph Perry, a jilted suitor whose vengeful heart prioritizes spite over human compassion. Perry's revelation condemns the newlyweds to a death sentence under stringent military regulations. Faced with the unimaginable horror of his beloved's execution by firing squad, Gordon makes a soul-wrenching choice, delivering a non-fatal shot to Betty himself, a desperate act of mercy designed to spare her a more brutal end. Believing her truly lost, he then embarks on a suicidal combat charge, a final, desperate embrace of oblivion. Yet, fate, in its most ironic twist, intervenes: Perry, the architect of their near-demise, unexpectedly saves Gordon's life, leading to the latter's commendation with the Victoria Cross for his valor. Simultaneously, Betty, having miraculously survived Gordon's deliberate, yet merciful, wound, makes a full recovery, culminating in an improbable and poignant reunion with her decorated husband, a testament to love's enduring, if circuitous, triumph amidst the chaos of war.

Synopsis

Gordon Harvey, a wealthy American, enlists in the American Legion of the Canadian Army to fight with the Allies even before his own country has entered World War I. He woos and weds Betty Milburn, and then, because the young bride cannot bear to be parted from her new husband, she disguises herself as a Red Cross nurse and accompanies him to France. Ralph Perry, a spurned suitor, reveals her presence to the authorities, knowing that the young couple will be sentenced to death for breaking military rules. Rather than send Betty to the firing squad, Gordon shoots her and then embarks on a suicidal combat mission. He is saved by Perry, however, and awarded a Victoria Cross for heroism. Betty, only wounded by the shot, recovers and is reunited with her husband.