The Test

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Tom Neil, clerk in the law office of Robert Poindexter, is a man of no principles or ethics. When reproached by John Burly, a lawyer in the office, for studying the "dope" sheet of a newspaper so as to get a line on the horses, he resents it strongly, and the seeds of hatred are sown. Subsequently, Burly, in debt to the extent $300, to George Laughlin, a newspaperman, steals the money from the Poindexter office, as the back of Luke Jackson, the cashier, is turned. Because of inaccuracies discovered in Neil's accounts previous, the charge of theft is made against Neil. Burly, however, admits the theft, and writes out a confession to that effect. He is then dismissed and the police are not advised. Previous to the theft, Helen Poindexter, niece of Robert, had visited in New York, and became acquainted with Burly, through her uncle. A warm friendship springs up between them. After the trouble at the office. Burly leaves the city and ceases to correspond with Helen, resolving at first to make good. Helen soon returns to her home in the west. Almost a year has passed, and Burly has turned up in the west, in the same town where Helen resides. Daily, in the public square, Helen, her features obscured by a heavy veil, dispenses food to the poor. On one occasion she hands food to Burly, who has kept straight and paid back some of the money to Robert Poindexter. A note is slipped into her hand by Burly, who does not recognize her. She reads the note, which is an appeal tor assistance. The following day she decides to test him and drops her purse where he sees it. A few hours after, Burly returns the purse to her at her home when he faints from hunger. He recognizes her later and is persuaded to remain in Helen's home until he recovers. Helen writes to her uncle in New York telling how straight she has found Burly to be, with the result that a recommendation is sent on for Burly by Robert Poindexter and his confession is torn up. Neil, through the keyhole, sees his employer tear up the confession and gets it and pastes it together. With revenge in his heart and seeing a chance to blackmail Burly, now a lawyer in the office of ex-Judge Gary. Neil goes west and puts it up to Burly, who buys the confession. Neil substitutes a decoy for the original, which he sells to District Attorney Wallace, Burly's opponent for political office. George Laughlin, now editor of the newspaper in the same western town, supports Burly strongly for the office, but Wallace's disclosures of the theft are endangering Burly's chances. Helen, whom Wallace has been paying attentions to, succeeds in tearing off the signature from the confession in Wallace's office, so when the confession is shown to newspaper men, it has no signature and is declared a forgery. Consequently Burly wins both the election and Helen's hand.