Get Rich Quick

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Rinster is a man of dual personality. Adjoining his handsome apartment he rents a suite of offices under an assumed name, and has them connected by means of a sliding panel. At home he is considered a man of means, proud of his daughter and anxious to see her married to the man of his choice. At the office he beguiles many dupes into parting with their cash on the strength of fabulous tales as to the wealth to be made from investments in his companies. He is to some extent a man of mystery, for no one sees him enter his office, as he always goes through the secret panel, and once there entirely changes his appearance by means of a wig and makeup. Greedy, he resolves on a still more ambitious scheme. He advertises a new bank with an absurdly high-sounding name, and an absurdly high rate of interest. His daughter's fiancé entrusts his money to this new bank, and is accompanied by Mrs. Rinster when he makes his deposit, but even she does not recognize her husband in his disguise. The crash comes, and the doors of the bank are closed, and the banker disappears. Ralph is ruined and is told cruelly by his sweetheart's father that their engagement must end. Accompanied by an angry crowd of depositors, Ralph forces his way into the bank. He enters the private office and accidentally presses a knob that opens the sliding panel. He rushes through accompanied by two or three of the others. The banker is discovered in the act of concealing some bags of cash. Ralph's suspicions are aroused. He makes a snatch at the man's wig, and to his horror the features of his sweetheart's father are revealed. The ill-gotten money is restored to the depositors. Then Ralph realizes that for the sake of his future wife the best thing to do is to hush up the matter and stifle scandal. On his part, Rinster promises that his future life shall be blameless and so the story ends happily.