- Realizing that it would be difficult to support a wife on his meager income, struggling physician Jack Stilling loses his love, Faith Channing, to the wealthy James Winthrop. After Faith and Winthrop marry, they begin to drift apart as Winthrop becomes consumed with his pursuit of social ambition. When her husband falls under the spell of fashionable Hortense Filliard, Faith determines to bear him a child in order to win him back. The infant dies soon after its birth, however, and Faith falls into a deep depression, forcing Stilling to prescribe morphine for her. Winthrop, spurred on by Hortense, conceives of a plan to addict Faith to the drug and then file for divorce. His plans backfire, however, when he becomes a slave to the drug and dies in a fit of delirium. Stilling intervenes in time to spare Faith the ravages of addiction, and the doctor and the woman he never ceased loving prepare for a new life.
- James Winthrop, a wealthy New Englander, returns to Totten Corners, after spending several years at college, and resumes his friendship with his boyhood playmates, Faith Channing and Jack Stilling. The former has developed into a beautiful woman and the latter is a young practicing physician. Both men are in love with Faith, but Stillings, realizing his small income, decides it would be unfair to ask her to share his life. Winthrop finally marries her. Faith is certain that she loves Winthrop, but her affection for Stillings does not waver. Stillings becomes the Winthrops' best friend, as well as their medical advisor. Fashionable friends visit the Winthrops, buy property and erect summer homes, so the place grows into a fashionable resort. This brings great wealth and high social ambitions to Winthrop. His wife does not share these ambitions. The husband and wife gradually drift apart and Winthrop becomes interested in Mrs. Hortense Filliard, a fascinating woman of the fashionable set. A child upon which Faith has built hopes of winning back her husband dies at birth and she grieves alone. Jack Stillings, owing to her slow recovery, is forced to administer morphine. Hortense insists that Winthrop compel his wife to receive her. When she does call she is insolent, and Mrs. Winthrop orders her to leave the house. Before Hortense leaves Jim enters and they discover morphine tablets on the table. Hortense intimates if Faith were out of the way she would marry Winthrop and informs him the use of morphine is legal grounds for divorce in that state. Jack calls and informs Winthrop and his wife that the latter must not take any more morphine as she no longer needs it and if she continues she will be in danger of becoming addicted to its use. From this time on Winthrop administers morphine to his wife secretly with the hope that she will become a slave to the drug, and in doing so he himself becomes a user of it. Stillings comes in time to save Faith, and Winthrop, upon learning that Hortense has announced her engagement to a richer man, dies in a fit of delirium. -- Moving Picture World.
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