Summary
In the tumultuous aftermath of the brokerage firm Blatch, Markham and Driggs' dissolution, a web of avarice and manipulation unfurls. Markham, a conniving partner, absconds with vital company documents and, more crucially, the deed to a lucrative mine, intending to hoard its potential. Concurrently, the equally unscrupulous Blatch, eyeing the mine for a future low-cost acquisition, orchestrates a deceptive ploy: he enlists the services of Burley Hadden, a cynical attorney, to feign a recovery effort for Driggs, thereby buying time for the option to lapse. Hadden, observing John Craig, a hapless construction contractor in dire need of funds, exhibit an exaggerated jumpiness at the mere pop of a paper bag, cynically labels him a 'dub.' He then tenders a seemingly generous sum of $1,000 to John for the retrieval of Markham’s purloined papers, fully anticipating his spectacular failure. However, John's misadventure takes an unexpected turn when, after Markham's initial attempts to outwit him, he encounters Enid Drayton, Markham's ward, held captive within the opulent confines of her guardian's estate. A serendipitous alliance forms with a rather amiable burglar, and together, this improbable trio manages to reclaim not only the coveted mine option but also a trove of incriminating documents that unequivocally expose Blatch and Markham’s long-standing, systematic defrauding of Driggs. The narrative culminates in Driggs justly compensating John and revealing to Enid her rightful inheritance of a million-dollar fortune, sealing the tale with a triumphant embrace between the two newfound companions.
Synopsis
When the brokerage firm of Blatch, Markham and Driggs dissolves, Markham steals company records and the option of a valuable mine. Meanwhile, Blatch, who wants the option to expire so he can then purchase it at a low price, hires attorney Burley Hadden to convince Driggs that he is trying to recover it. Hadden sees John Craig, a bungling construction contractor who needs $800 for his payroll, running nervously from the pop of a paper bag, and offers the supposed "dub" $1,000 to retrieve the papers, thinking he will fail. After Markham tries to dupe John, he meets Enid Drayton, Markham's ward, who is being held a virtual prisoner in Markham's mansion. With the help of a friendly burglar, they retrieve the option and other papers which prove that Markham and Blatch had been cheating Driggs for years. After Driggs rewards John and informs Enid that she owns a million dollar estate, she and John embrace.
