STORY

Frank Marston is known to the world as a successful man. His daughter Helen is engaged to Tom Farrell, a young business man. One night the young couple go to a gay party at the studio of a famous artist. Helen and her father started a game of chess while waiting for Tom and the old man goes back to the library after seeing the young folks leave. As he sits in the flickering firelight toying absently with the chess pieces in front of him, memory takes a hand and moves the pieces into strange relationship. The white queen and her knight face the black knight. As he watches the three pieces slowly change into the figures of himself, as a young man. Standing in place of the black knight and in place of the white pieces, come the forms of his old pal, Marc Bailey, and the latter’s pretty Mexican sweetheart, Anita, of the years of long ago. Slowly the chessboard fades away and the scenes from the past come up before him. Marc Bailey, living in the little Mexican town of Cocholento, located a good prospect the same day that he received a telegram from his old pal, Frank Marston, that the latter had been granted a zone by the Mexican government. (A zone is a sixty-day mining option on any large tract of land, giving the holder the sole right to file on any portion of that land during that period, even when other parties have located prospects in the district.) Anita forgets Bailey’s faithful love for the handsome Marston and he pretends to care for her. They dally in the southern moonlight, unsuspected by Bailey. Trusting his friend as himself, Marc shows Marston the prospect. But the streak of greed in Marston overcomes his scruples and all the friendship of years. He alone has the right to file on the land, and unknown to Bailey, he does so. But Bailey discovers the fact and accuses Marston. The latter offers to pay him for the prospect but outraged friendship rebels at this insult, and Bailey pulls his gun to shoot Marston. Anita watched the scene afraid. Thinking to stop Bailey, she throws herself in front of Marston. Too late. The bullet drives its way into her fickle heart. Bailey is overcome, for his love for the girl is greater than his hatred of Marston. He rushes to her side, throwing his gun away as he goes. She turns away from him and calls for Marston, but the latter, afraid of Bailey’s vengeance, has fled. The scene fades back to the library again. On the chessboard the black knight has disappeared and the white queen is prostrate. Marston agitated by memories, pours himself a drink. He is taking it when a face appears at the window, a face distorted with hate. The face is that of Bailey. Bailey, the failure, who has drifted lower and lower, until at last he has joined a band of crooks for the robbery of Marston’s house. When Bailey recognizes Marston all the old enmity is aroused. He enters the library, gun in hand. Marston, the animal hate overcoming him, throws away his gun. He must kill this man with his bare hands. Grimly and silently the two gray-haired men struggle, Bailey’s hands at Marston’s throat. Meanwhile in the gay studio the grim messenger of death has been a guest. Pretty Helen, reveling with the others, goes up the stairs with her fiancé to the long gallery for refreshments. Drinking to her host, she stumbles back against the weakened balustrade. It gives way and the girl is hurled to the floor below. The guests and her horrified fiancé hurry down to her, but the little life is broken. Heartbroken, they take her body back to Marston’s house. As they carry her into the library, Hailey is tightening his grip on Marston’s throat. The men stagger apart. With a wild shriek Marston stumbles to the girl’s side. Bailey stands for a moment watching the scene. He sees that the girl is dead. His vengeance is complete, for life will be worse than death now to the man who so wronged him in that long ago past. Bailey goes out again into the snow, a failure, leaving Marston, the success, sobbing his heart away in the beautiful library.

Written By: Moving Picture World synopsis