The Gamblers

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Isabel Emerson and Catherine Spencer are old school friends, and it is the great wish of Isabel that Catherine shall marry her brother, Wilbur. James Darwin, a young attorney in the interest of business, comes into the life of the Spencer family and falls in love with Catherine. Wilbur is so immersed in business that he does not play the love game satisfactorily and Darwin wins out. Catherine tells Darwin that she does not love him really strong, but he persuades her that she will in time, and they get married. Catherine tells Darwin that she really was in love with Wilbur and the husband, being of a jealous disposition, the drifting apart begins. Wilbur, in desperate effort to amass a fortune, gets his fellow directors to go into a precarious scheme to extend their banking operations and Emerson, senior, endorses them. For a time things go well until the rival bankers smell a mouse and commence an investigation which may mean state prison for some of the party, as the Emerson chain of banks an operating illegally. The attorney general calls on Darwin to investigate. Wilbur scours the streets for money to cover risky notes. Darwin tackles the weakest link, one of the stockholders named Cowper, and he agrees to turn state's evidence. Cowper steals the notes and substitutes forged ones. Wilbur pockets the substitute notes and returns to his room, where he finds the investigators in charge. Darwin at home finds Catherine about to go to a ball given by Isabel and tells her she cannot go. After he leaves for the meeting she goes anyway. Darwin learns that he must go to Washington and returns home for his bag. Learning that Catherine had disregarded his command he goes to Emerson's for her; she refuses to leave until the husband partly explains. Cowper realizing what it means to go to jail, starts for the Darwin house with the notes and leaves them on Darwin's desk, the maid only being present. Wilbur returns home and finds detectives watching the house. His colleagues then are informed of the situation confronting them. Emerson is heartbroken, but insists on standing his share of the trouble, but Wilbur manages to take the burden on his own shoulders. He gets Cowper to make a confession and goes to secure the notes. By a clever ruse he gets into the library where the package is, but is discovered by Catherine. She secures the packet and despite his pleading refuses to part with it. Darwin returns and confronts Wilbur, who trying to explain the situation makes matters worse. Darwin cross-questions his wife and not believing the story of the papers suspects that Wilbur came simply to visit Catherine. To prove the matter he has Wilbur arrested for burglary. Catherine refuses to tell where the papers are and also to make a charge against Wilbur and declares to leave Darwin for good. She makes her threat good and leaves. Wilbur is released, as no charge can be made against him. The next morning it is agreed that Wilbur is to be sacrificed and that charges are to be preferred by the others of misuse of the notes. Catherine goes to the Emerson home and telling Isabel all, endeavors to see Wilbur. Cowper discovers that she still has the papers just as Darwin enters. Wilbur finally gets the papers from Catherine. He calls Darwin and Cowper in and surrenders the papers at the same time his written confession and offers himself to the law. Catherine declares her love for Wilbur and after getting a divorce promises to wait for him.