Life's Temptations

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The story, briefly outlined, tells of the faithless employee of an English earl. This faithless employee, after causing the earl's death, runs away with a large sum of money belonging to his employer. He suffers shipwreck, and, believing that he cannot escape death, confides the money into the keeping of a traveling companion, who, stronger than himself, seems more likely to survive the disaster. The companion accepts the money, but instead of delivering it into the hands of the sole surviving daughter of the earl, converts it to his own use and buys the estate of the earl with the proceeds of the theft. He then offers his heart to the daughter of the earl, who accepts him. Their marriage is happy enough but for the compunctuous visitings of conscience which come to the husband of the earl's daughter. He is afraid that his one-time traveling companion might still be among the living, and some day return and expose his stupendous fraud. His worst fears come true; through a trick of fate, the real identity of the worthless husband is revealed to the daughter of the earl. The husband is full of remorse and decides to go away. On his way from the estate, on which there are valuable coal mines, he discovers that an awful accident has happened, and that his little son Henry is buried in the debris of the ruined shafts. At the risk of his life he descends into the depths of the earth and rescues the boy, who was on the verge of death. This so works upon the maternal feelings of the wife that she relents and forgives her husband's trickery.