- Oliver Beresford is a stern, Puritanical, uncompromisingly rigid father. When shameful stories about his daughter Judith surface, he instantly bans her from his home rather than determine whether the stories are true. Her brother David, a pusillanimous reprobate, has secretly married and fathered, then abandoned, a child. Judith takes care of the baby and finds a way to restore her family through the love for the child.—Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>
- In the village of Flint Hill, David Beresford is returning from college, where he is preparing for a career in the ministry. David is reluctantly pursuing this path only because his father wants a man of God in the family. At the Beresford home, David's mother and his sister Judith are doing the dishes, when Mr. Beresford enters, reading a message from David. "The boy writes a fine letter," says Beresford. He is going to be a Power in the service of the Lord." "He ought to be thankful he isn't a woman," replies Judith. "A woman's place is in her home - looking after her children," says Beresford.
Judith fights off the attentions of her wealthy but uncouth neighbor, Joe Hurd. Judith strikes up a friendship with Wyndham Gray, a writer who lives nearby. This irritates Hurd. When Gray encounters the two of them, he asks pleasantly "going to the dance?" "No, we're old-fashioned enough to consider choir practices more important," mutters Hurd. "I heard the choir Sunday and it reminded me of an ancient and very true saying," Gray says calmly. "What is it?" Hurd asks. "Silence is golden," Gray replies.
Upon his return, David has a rendezvous with Nan Higgins, the step-daughter of "The Odd Jobs Man." Unbeknownst to anyone, Nan and David had gotten married before he had gone to college. David had asked Nan to keep the marriage a secret so as not to incur her father's wrath. When Nan returns to the cabin where she lives with Higgins, she faints. Higgins discovers she is pregnant, and demands to know who the father is. He drags the girl to the Beresford home, where David is too cowardly to confess they are married. David's father offers Higgins $5000 in hush money to save David's career. "It's a lot of money," Beresford says, as Higgins nods slowly. He then orders Nan out of the house. After Nan and Higgins leave, Judith turns to her father and asks "why should she go away?" "Because a scarlet woman has no place where decent folks abide," Beresford answers. David tries to stand up for Nan, but again his courage fails him. "What about David?" asks Judith. "The painted woman ever lies in wait for the young and innocent," her father replies coldly. "What if it had been me?" Judith asks. "Shame! I forbid you to say another word!" Beresford angrily replies.
Back at the Higgins cabin, Nan produces her marriage certificate, but Higgins will have none of it. "It's a fake!" he exclaims. "It's no good and you know it!" Nan rushes to take the certificate from him, but he pushes her away, and burns the document. Nan goes to New York where she has the baby.
Hurd eavesdrops on an innocent meeting between Judith and Gray at Gray's cabin. When Judith leaves, Hurd confronts her. "What have you been doing in his cabin all this time?" Hurd angrily asks. "Nothing you would understand," Judith replies defiantly. She slaps him and leaves. Hurd goes to Beresford and suggests that something unseemly is going on between Judith and Gray. When Beresford confronts Judith, she says with contempt "maybe this man will buy you off as you did Nan's father." Beresford, shaking with rage, orders her out of the house: "I never want to see you again, and this is the last night you shall remain in my house." Mrs. Beresford cries, while David remains unmoved.
Judith goes to New York, finding employment in a department store. She also goes to work at a home for poor children. There, she meets Richard Stuart, a wealthy society man, who plays Santa Claus for the children. The two fall in love. While working with the poor, Judith encounters Nan, who is dying in a cheap bedroom. When Judith sees Nan's child, the girl says "I - I named him David. I thought I had the right to name him that, because David and I were married." Then Nan falters a bit, adding "but maybe we weren't - my father said my marriage certificate was a fraud - he burned it." Then she adds "David made me promise not to tell - perhaps he knew the marriage wasn't real." "Your marriage is real," Judith assures her. Judith promises to care for the little boy, and Nan dies. Judith then writes a letter to her father, stating that David and Nan were married, and the child is David's. But the letter is returned to her, unopened.
David is now offered a position as a missionary, and is interviewed by a committee headed by Mrs. Stuart, who is Richard's mother. Beresford is also present, and answers for his son. Mrs. Stuart asks "will your son care to accept this station in the interior of China?" Without hesitation, and before David can even reply, Beresford says "he'll be proud to accept." Mrs. Stuart invites the Beresfords for dinner at her home. Unbeknownst to them, she has also invited her son Richard, and Judith. When Beresford see his daughter, he angrily asks "what are you doing here?" Richard tries to intervene, but Beresford says harshly "this woman is my daughter - whose name is never mentioned in my home." Richard advances towards Beresford and says "you may be her father, but I won't allow you to insult her. She has promised to be my wife." "Ask her why she was forced to leave my house," Beresford replies. Richard is shaken by this development, and he and Judith become estranged. Judith returns to care for young David, and tells him "they shan't disown you! Then shan't brand you with shame!" She then adds "we are going home - to fight!"
Judith reunites with her mother, and explains to her about David, Nan, and the boy. Beresford arrives and flies into a rage when he sees Judith. But this time, his wife stands up to him, and says "she shall not leave, neither shall David's boy." Beresford, ignoring Judith and David, replies "this is my house - when I return I do not want to find her here." His wife flatly says "if she goes, I go with her."
On the day David is to be ordained as a missionary, his parents, Judith and the young boy attend. As David is about to address the congregation, his son walks up to him and says "My name is David." The minister suddenly understands the situation. With his son standing beside him, David speaks to his audience, saying "I wonder that even a merciful God does not strike me down as I stand before His altar - a liar - a cheat. The blind cannot lead the blind, and I now resign from the Church I have disgraced."
Later, at the Beresford home, Mr. Beresford places his hands on his son's shoulders and says "I'm the guilty one, my boy - not you." When David tries to object, his father shakes his head and says "I have grievously sinned and the Lord has struck me down." The family is finally reunited, and Judith and Richard find happiness together.
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