Nancy's Birthright

• 1916
• Drama

Jack Levine and his wife, Nancy, are the occupants of a room in one of the tenement houses of the slums. Nancy presents her husband with a baby girl, but he refuses to have anything to do with it and deserts her. Nancy becomes delirious and threatens to kill the child, is restrained by a youth, Leslie Warner. Nancy is dying and, realizing this, directs a note to John Martingale, head of the iron works, which is delivered by Leslie. The note reads, "I leave my baby to the care of your god." Leslie then goes to his home, where he lives with his widowed mother, and they decide to adopt the baby girl. Sixteen years later Leslie Warner has become a prosperous businessman. Nancy has been well educated and is a beautiful and good girl. Leslie finds that his affection for the child has grown into a love for the woman. In the meantime Jake Levine has become a criminal and leader of a gang in the underworld. He tells them he has a plan on foot whereby they can secure a big sum of money. He has learned that John Martingale, a wealthy manufacturer, had, years before, cast off his only daughter after she had eloped with a married man. Some two years later Martingale received a note from his daughter telling him she was leaving him a legitimate grand-daughter and that she, herself, was dying. Martingale has been unable to find the girl and, therefore, decides to adopt an orphan girl from the slums and leave his wealth to her. Jake's plan is to provide a girl from the slums whom they can control, and to split the old man's money between them. As they are talking William Preston, manager of the Martingale factory (of whom Leslie Warner is assistant manager) enters and joins in the scheme. Leslie and Nancy are engaged to be married and one morning after leaving home in his car Leslie turns his head to wave goodbye and accidentally runs down a man. He is carried into Leslie's home, where it is found he is not seriously hurt. He tells Nancy he is an orphan and she in turn explains to him her own position. This man is the double of Jake and tells Jake and the gang about Nancy. They agree that she is just the girl they want. Jake goes to Leslie's home, recognizes him and discovers Nancy is his own daughter. He entices her to the rendezvous of the gang, proves to her that he is her father, and tells her their plan. He tells her her grandfather was a murderer, her father a thief, and her mother a rich man's daughter who became a dope fiend in the slums. Nevertheless, Nancy refuses to have anything to do with the plot. Jake locks her in the room and leaves. Meantime, Leslie has been searching all night for her, but without success. The next day Nancy tells Jake she is engaged to marry Leslie. The gang arranges with Preston to get Leslie in trouble. Preston leaves a package of money in Leslie's care, but later returns himself and removes it. Leslie is accused of the theft and arrested. Jake then tells Nancy what they have done and says unless she will do as they want, Leslie will be sent to prison. She still refuses. He then sends one of his pals into the room, a hideous hunchback, but Nancy's beautiful nature conquers his evil heart and wins his support. He assists her to escape that night. Meantime, a discharged employee observed Preston take the package of money from the safe, and goes to Martingale's home and informs him of this fact. Leslie is at once released and Nancy also returns and warns Martingale of the danger he is in. Martingale comments on Nancy's likeness to his own lost daughter and it is discovered that she is his granddaughter. He adopts her to avoid embarrassing explanations. At a meeting of the gang Jake tells them that Nancy has escaped and that he is through with the life he has been leading. The hunchback unexpectedly sides with Jake, and in the fight which follows they are the winners. They leave their old haunts and go to Martingale's residence, arriving there at the time of a reception given in honor of Leslie's engagement to Nancy. His identity is made known to Martingale, who at first refuses to have anything to do with him, but later yields to Nancy's pleas. Later Jake and the hunchback are given good jobs at Martingale's factory, of which Leslie is made manager following Preston's discharge.