Summary
A self-proclaimed amateur detective, the affluent Jack Woodford, finds his idle curiosity piqued by the plight of Alice Moreland, daughter to the Reverend Robert Moreland, who laments a recent jewel theft. Impersonating official investigators, Woodford, accompanied by his faithful valet Jasper Stride, infiltrates the Moreland household. His initial suspicions oscillate between the Reverend’s enigmatic secretary, Harvey Faxon, and Alice's brother, Harry. However, the nocturnal hours reveal a startling twist: Alice herself, in a somnambulistic state, retrieves jewels from the family safe. Woodford's attempts to intervene are thwarted when Faxon frames him for the very robbery he’s investigating, leading to a brief, unjust imprisonment in the basement. Escaping his confines, Woodford again observes Alice in her sleepwalking trance, jewels in hand. A swift realization dawns upon him: Faxon is a cunning opportunist, exploiting Alice’s nocturnal wanderings to pilfer the valuables. A decisive confrontation ensues, culminating in Faxon's capture. The grateful and smitten Alice, now fully awake and aware, expresses her profound affection for the discerning sleuth, solidifying their unexpected bond forged in the crucible of mystery.
Synopsis
Millionaire Jack Woodford, who loves a good mystery, seizes an opportunity to play Sherlock Holmes when he overhears pretty Alice Moreland, the daughter of Rev. Robert Moreland, discussing a jewel robbery in her home. Posing as detectives, Jack and his valet, Jasper Stride, visit the reverend's home, where Jack's suspicions are aroused first by Moreland's secretary, Harvey Faxon, and then by Alice's brother Harry. During the night, however, he sees Alice herself take a set of jewels from the safe, but when he tries to retrieve them from her room, Faxon enters and accuses him of robbery. He is imprisoned in the basement but soon escapes, and that night, he again sees Alice carrying jewels. As Jack approaches, he realizes that Alice is sleepwalking and that Faxon is waiting to take the jewels from her when she reaches her room. Jack and Stride capture Faxon, and Alice demonstrates her gratitude to the amateur sleuth by confessing that she loves him.
