Broken Ties

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The story without words unfolds, with every inch of film, a strikingly lifelike set of episodes in the life of a divorced couple, until they are finally brought together again through the instrumentality of their little son. After witnessing the sad parting in the court room following the trial at which the husband, because the wife has been at fault, is granted the care of the child, we are shown a series of touching views of the child in his home. His lonesomeness for his mother and the failure of his father to interest him by gifts, or care or love, and the father's great pain because of his son's unhappiness, make a telling appeal for the uplifting of home ideals and treasuring of domestic contentment. The child seems utterly unable to grow accustomed to the new situation, even after a considerable length of time, so the father arranges to have the mother and child visit one another occasionally at the home of the boy's maternal grandmother. A few meetings but serve to make the separation more painful to both. The grandmother attempts to bring about a reconciliation between the man and wife but fails. The wife grows frantic in her loneliness and decides to steal the child. Upon their next meeting she spirits the child away from the father, who immediately lodges a complaint with the police. Soon, accompanied by officers, he arrives at her home to regain possession of his son. The boy is produced forthwith, but shows such reluctance to leave his mother and such genuine love for her that when she adds her plea for forgiveness to the child's entreaty for the company he has so longed for, the father is touched, the mother pardoned, and the family reunited.