Summary
In the tangled aftermath of a second marriage’s collapse, Roy Tappan (a man of restless ambition) severs ties with his former wife, Emily, only to plunge into a hasty union with Dora Carson, a newly divorced woman whose own fortunes have withered. Both parties, convinced the other possesses hidden wealth, find their pockets embarrassingly light. Emily, left penniless, clings to a fragile hope by marrying Walter Heath, a former suitor whose charm masks a bureaucratic nightmare: their marriage is invalid in her home state, rendering their domestic bliss a legal illusion. As Roy’s aunt offers a conditional lifeline—financial support in exchange for custody of his two children—he succumbs to desperation, abducting the youngsters and stashing them in the aunt’s secluded residence. Emily and Walter, relentless in their search, trail the children to the rugged expanse of Yellowstone, where the park’s jurisdiction inadvertently confers a legitimate marriage upon the pair. Roy, driven by jealousy and greed, shadows them into the geothermal wilderness. A climactic confrontation erupts near a boiling geyser; the geyser’s explosive force hurls Roy into the air, sending him crashing onto jagged rocks, sealing his tragic demise. The narrative, penned by Rupert Hughes, weaves themes of marital folly, the illusion of wealth, and the unforgiving hand of nature, all set against a backdrop of early twentieth‑century American landscapes and societal mores.
Synopsis
After obtaining a divorce from his second wife Emily, Roy Tappan marries Dora Carson, who has just divorced her husband. Left poor with two children, Emily marries Walter Heath, a former suitor, then discovers that she cannot live with her new husband because the divorce is not legal in her home state. Tappan and his new wife soon run out of money, each having thought the other was wealthy. His aunt promises to support him in exchange for his two children. He kidnaps the children and hides them from Emily in his aunt's home. After Emily and Walter find them, they go to Yellowstone Park, where they are considered legally married. Tappan follows and is killed after a fight with Walter when a boiling geyser throws him into the air and throws him onto the rocks below.
