Summary
In the tumultuous crucible of World War I, where global anxieties simmered beneath a veneer of patriotic fervor, emerges Leslie Selden, a woman whose captivating beauty is matched only by her unwavering dedication to her nation. Her affections become the unwitting battleground for two strikingly disparate suitors: Jack Wynn, a spirited young man whose call to arms is yet to sound, and the enigmatic Dr. Wolff, a Danish scientist whose placid exterior masks the insidious machinations of a German operative. As the tendrils of Wolff’s malevolent scheme—a meticulously planned assault on New York City’s vital munitions factories and its indispensable water infrastructure—begin to tighten, Jack, driven by a burgeoning suspicion, confronts the doctor in his clandestine lair. The confrontation culminates in Jack’s imprisonment, a calculated maneuver by Wolff, who then fabricates a note, cruelly depicting Jack as a draft-dodging coward, to mislead Leslie. Yet, Leslie’s keen intuition, sharper than any forged missive, discerns the deception. Swiftly, she enlists the aid of the authorities, ingeniously planting a dictograph within Wolff’s residence. Through its clandestine ear, the chilling details of the impending urban catastrophe are unveiled. With the city’s fate hanging precariously, Leslie, accompanied by a contingent of police, descends upon Wolff’s stronghold, a timely intervention that thwarts both Jack’s imminent demise and the catastrophic obliteration of New York City, cementing her legacy as a formidable, unsung heroine of the home front.
Synopsis
During World War I, beautiful and patriotic Leslie Selden is courted by two ardent admirers: Jack Wynn, a young man not yet taken by the draft, and Dr. Wolff, a Danish scientist who is actually a German agent. When Jack learns that Wolff is masterminding a plot to bomb several munitions factories and destroy the water system in New York City, he goes to the spy's home and confronts him. Wolff locks him up, then forges a note to Leslie claiming that the young man has run away to escape the draft. Her suspicions aroused, Leslie alerts the authorities and plants a dictograph in Wolff's house, through which she learns of the scheduled bombings. Accompanied by the police, she arrives at Wolff's residence just in time to prevent Jack's murder and the destruction of the city.
