The Wayfarers

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Frank Andrews has been defrauded of his savings by George Renfrew, an investment shark. When Andrew reads of his loss in the paper, he goes to Renfrew's office with the intention of forcing him to make good. His protests are received by Renfrew with contempt and he is ejected from the office by a clerk. The noon hour comes slowly and the office force go to lunch with the exception of Jim Martin, whom Renfrew sends on an errand. Andrews, still smarting under the wrong, decides to return again to threaten Renfrew with exposure unless he makes restitution. When he enters the office, he finds Renfrew has been killed with a stiletto paper knife. Martin, returning from his errand, finds Andrews holding the blood-stained knife and accuses him of the murder. Andrews realizes that the evidence is against him, hurls Martin aside, and rushing out of the office, goes to his room, where he hastily gathers a few belongings together and starts away. The police have been put on his track, and he hears them questioning the landlady in the hallway below in time to turn back. He bursts into the first door he comes to, where he finds a girl just in the act of taking a bottle of poison. His surprise overcomes his fear and while he is taking the bottle away from the girl the officers pass by, enter, and search his room and depart. Grace tells him she was desperate and was taking the only way out. She begins to tell him her story, but he stops her, saying that they are both desperate and can keep their secrets. Andrews persuades Grace to steal away with him, and in a distant place under another name they begin a life of happiness together. All goes well until destiny takes Martin to the same place on his vacation. He comes in contact with Grace while Andrews is away on a surveying trip, and desires her. When Andrews returns, Martin recognizes him, and later returns during Andrews' absence to threaten Grace with Andrew's exposure unless she consents to go with him. She has agreed to save her husband, when Andrews enters, declares he is not guilty, and explains the circumstances. Grace realizes that she can still have Andrews and declares she can prove his innocence, and confesses that she killed Renfrew. He had betrayed and deserted her sister, who committed suicide. When she went to call him to account, he jeered at her. In a frenzy she attacked him with the paper knife and in their struggle he fell on it and was killed. Martin declares that it makes no difference to him who did it, that he is going to have the reward offered for the capture of the murderer, and goes for the authorities. Andrews and Grace decide again to escape, but as they start away, Martin is brought in dead, from a collision with an auto. Their secret dies with him and their future happiness is assured.