The Midnight Man

Summary

In an era captivated by mechanical ingenuity and the tantalizing prospect of impregnable security, young Bob Moore, heir to a formidable safe manufacturing legacy, finds his inventive prowess challenged by the elusive ideal of a truly burglar-proof lock. Driven by this professional quandary, he orchestrates an audacious parley with the city's most fabled safecracker, the enigmatic figure known only as 'The Eel.' Remarkably, The Eel, seemingly weary of a life skirting the edges of legality, consents to a legitimate position within the Moore factory, hinting at a desire for vocational metamorphosis. However, the siren song of a final, masterstroke heist proves irresistible with the emergence of Irene Hardin, whose father, a rival industrialist, bestows upon her a necklace of immeasurable value. In a peculiar test of worthiness, Irene's father sequesters the precious pearls within his own vault, presenting Bob with a pre-nuptial challenge: successfully breach the safe, and Irene's hand is his. Consumed by ardour, Bob deftly navigates the lock's intricacies, placing the coveted pearls on the safe's handle as a testament to his triumph, before departing. This fleeting moment of vulnerability is expertly exploited by The Eel, who, having observed the proceedings, swiftly absconds with the jewels. Accused of the theft, Bob is thrust into a relentless pursuit to reclaim his honour and the necklace. A vigorous, almost balletic, confrontation ensues between the two men, culminating in Bob's victorious recovery of the adornment and, consequently, his rightful claim to Irene's affection.

Synopsis

When young inventor Bob Moore fails in his efforts to provide his father, a safe manufacturer, with a lock that is burglar proof, he contacts The "Eel," the most talented safecracker in the city, to offer him a job in his factory. The Eel, deciding to go straight, accepts the offer, but when he later learns that Irene Hardin has been given a valuable necklace by her father, The Eel plans one last job to secure Irene's pearls. Meanwhile, Irene's father, also a safe manufacturer, places the pearls in his own safe and tells Bob that if he can open it, Irene will be his. Bob, in love with Irene, opens the safe and places the pearls on the handle. After he departs, The Eel enters the house and steals the pearls. Bob is accused of the crime, and to exonerate himself, pursues The Eel. After a lively fight, Bob recovers the necklace and returns home to claim his bride.