A Poor Man's Romance

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A poor man's little daughter on her way to school is knocked down by an automobile and is carried home to her father, still unconscious. The poor man, although stricken with grief, is compelled to leave his little child to the care of a good old woman and go to his work, for should he stop for one day his labors, his household would be sorely in need of food. Arriving at the office which he is paid to keep clean, he starts to work, but his mind is still with his little one suffering at home, and as he sits down lost in thought his boss enters, and, after upbraiding him for his apparent laziness, tends him on an errand. In the meantime a burglar enters the office, breaks open the safe and places an emptied wallet in the workman's forgotten coat lying on the table. Our servant having finished his task, goes home to his ailing child and is giving her his fatherly care when a police officer enters the chamber and accuses him of burglary at his employer's office. Our man denies it, but the policeman on searching his clothes finds the empty purse placed there by the cunning thief, and the poor unfortunate parent is marched off to the police court and convicted. Having nobody to care for her any longer, the poor little girl is sent to the hospital, and thus a long time elapses. The next scene is the release of our innocent victim. He endeavors to find work, but everywhere he is rejected after a few hours' toil, for he is a released convict. Starving, he at last comes across a gang of footpads, who seeing that his utter misery and discouragement make him an easy prey for their dark deeds, lure him into a criminal expedition, and we see in the last scene six cruel looking burglars breaking in a house. The ex-convict and the most daring of the criminals enter the house, while the others keep guard outside: and a horrible crime is going to be committed on a young woman. The burglar is lifting his arm to strike the deadly blow, when the knife suddenly falls out of his hands: an iron hand is pressing the life out of his cruel body, and he falls prostrate under his aggressor's grasp, the repenting and honest workman. The lady of the house is greatly thankful for such courage, and takes him in her service as valet, and his little daughter is adopted by the kind-hearted dame.