More Precious Than Gold

• 1909
• Other, Drama

A poor working girl has a hard time to keep her mother from starvation. The miserly, old landlord never fails to appear promptly for his rent. They are unable to meet it and he forthwith removes the bulk of the furniture. "Emma" has a sweetheart, a husky young fellow, "Tom," who is drafted for service in the Asiatic Department. During his absence the landlord vigorously presses his suit. The sight of her mother, is too much for Emma and she gives her consent. "Tom," the lover, receives no letters; he suspects the worst, and applies for leave of absence, which is reluctantly granted. Arriving home, the moment is at hand when "Emma" will sacrifice her future to the grasping old scoundrel. "Tom" learns this and, digging spurs to his horse, arrives a moment ahead of the wedding party. The lovers are reunited and enter the church, where they are made one. The rage of the landlord, and the maledictions which he rains on the heads of the young people, brings on a stroke of apoplexy, from which he dies a miserable death on the church steps.