- Betty Fairchild decides to follow the advice of her mother and marry for money. Thus, when Tom Connolly arrives from the West with his fortune, she accepts his proposal even though she does not love him. The idealistic Tom is completely disillusioned when he learns why his wife married him and promptly leaves her. Rupert Brantley, a wealthy cad, seizes this opportunity to win Betty, but she gradually realizes that she has been wrong and repulses him. One day a letter from Tom's mother arrives and Betty innocently opens it. It contains letters and a photograph of a man who betrayed Tom's sister, with a plea to Tom to avenge the family. Recognizing the man as Brantley, Betty rushes to his apartment to warn him and thus prevent her husband from becoming a murderer, but Tom follows her and accuses her of infidelity. To prevent a fight, Betty remains silent. When she returns home, however, she shows Tom his mother's letter, which leads to a reconciliation between them.
- Betty Fairchild is sought after by Rupert Brantley. Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild favor his suit. Tom Connolly, who within three years rose from a miner to one of the wealthiest men in Colorado, comes East, where he meets and falls in love with Betty. Three years have passed since Ellen, Tom's sister, disappeared from a New York boarding school. A human wreck, Ellen returns to her mother, pleading for forgiveness. Tom arrives in response to his mother's summons, but Ellen refuses to tell the name of her betrayer. After her death, Tom returns East. Mrs. Connolly remains at her western home. Tom and Betty are married. Tom notices Brantley's attentions and resents them. When Tom asks Betty why the men hang around her now that she is married, she says she believes they are trying to keep her from being too bored with matrimony. When he says she cannot love him much, she asserts she does not love him at all, but had followed the social law of her class and made what the world calls, "a good match." Tom is stunned. Tom reads that a former millionaire had committed suicide when deserted by his wife because his fortune collapsed. he decides that as Betty married him for his money, if she thought he had suddenly lost everything she would leave him. He plunges into a wild stock market and purposely suffers a financial loss. Tom tells Betty he is ruined, having gambled away everything except the home, which is in her name. He suggests that she dispose of the house. When she attempts to sympathize with him he begs her not to lie again, he can never again believe she loves him. She makes arrangements with real estate agents to have the house sold. Unknown to Tom, Betty sells her jewels and rents and furnishes an apartment in Harlem. Tom is very enthusiastic and can't understand why she has gone to all that trouble, unless she is scheming to put something over on him. She is hurt by his attitude. Mrs. Fairchild is indignant at Bettys reduced circumstances. Tom tells Mrs. Fairchild he would rather have Betty return home with her, but Betty says Tom will want her when she has become worthy of him. In Colorado Tom's mother comes across some old letters in the traveling bag which Ellen had brought with her. They are from Rupert Brantley. There is also a photo, autographed, "From your sweetheart now, your husband to be." Ellen's mother decides to have her daughter's betrayer punished. Betty receives a packet addressed to Tom. She opens the envelope. It contains the letters and photo of Brantley, indicating his villainy toward Ellen, and a letter from Tom's mother urging him not to allow Ellen's betrayer to escape unpunished. She does not show these to Tom, realizing he will kill Brantley. After dinner, eager to get Tom out of the house, she arouses his suspicions. She sets out for Brantley's apartment to warn him and give him time to leave and Tom follows. Betty tells Brantley that Tom will kill him if he finds this out, saying she has come to give him time to get out of the country, not that she cares about Brantley, but she wishes to save Tom from the electric chair. There is a knock on the door and Tom enters. When Tom attacks Brantley, Betty comes forward, saying she had hoped Tom would never find out. Misunderstanding, Tom asks her whether she is Brantley's sweetheart. Betty, to save Tom from being a murderer, falsely admits the relation. Brantley snatches the letters and photograph from Betty and burns them. He says she may tell Tom what she pleases, he will not believe her. Ellen is dead and her proof is gone. Betty returns to her room. Tom tells her that after he has whipped Brantley he is going where she will never see him again. Realizing he is working under a false impression of her relations with Brantley, Betty persuades him to return with her to Brantley's apartment. Without explaining, she tells him to say to Brantley: "My wife baa told me everything and 1 will kill you if I ever lay eyes on you again." Then she says if he ever loved her he will show it now; she promises to prove her innocence. They return to Brantley's apartment, where Tom repeats what Betty directed him to say. Brantley becomes weak in the knees, and after the Connollys go he prepares to leave the country. At their apartment Betty shows Tom the envelope and his mother's letter. She explains she did not tell him the truth before because she feared he would kill Brantley, and though he deserved it, Tom would not have Leen justified in sacrificing her, who loved him. Assured of her love, Tom forgives Betty, confessing the ruse regarding his lost fortune. When he suggests that they return to their Riverside Drive home she urges him to remain where they are for another year, all to themselves. He agrees.
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