The Roughneck

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Avis and Franklin Hilliard are the spoiled, overbearing children of a wealthy father who has just died. Lord Cecil Oakleigh, a fortune hunter, is Avis's fiancée, although there is no love between them, he marrying her for her fortune and she marrying him for his title. Mr. Hilliard has left the superintendent of his mine in full charge of his fortune. Hilliard's lawyer later writes the superintendent to come to New York as soon as possible as there are many things to be straightened out. Dave Page, the superintendent. leaves for New York immediately. Among Mr. Hilliard's papers is a sealed document for Mr. Page. Upon opening this, Mr. Page finds that Hilliard has left him his entire fortune, because, he has cheated Dave's father out of his share of the mine in years gone by. Dave, although he has been snubbed unmercifully by the Hilliard children, resolves to let them go on enjoying the money and not tell them the contents of the paper. Cecil Oakleigh, however, fearful lest Avis's fortune be not so large as he expects, insists that the Hilliards demand to know the contents of the paper, and without knowledge of their lawyer, a search warrant is obtained and they go up to Dave's room and demand to see the paper. Dave puts up a fight but he is overpowered by the sleuths whom the party has brought with them. The paper is found and its true contents learned. Avis, who has come to like Dave, is stunned with grief, as also is Franklin her brother. Lord Cecil proceeds to break his engagement with Avis. A few days later Dave calls at the Hilliard home and offers to give Avis and Franklin back the mine on the condition that the next time Avis marries she choose a man worthy of her. Avis thereupon asks Dave if he will marry her and he says he will be glad to.