The Scarlet Mark

暂无简介Alison Reeves, a young heiress, is engaged to Tom Moore. In a luxuriously furnished apartment two crooks, Marcen and Jakel, read in a newspaper an announcement that Miss Alison Reeves has retired from society owing to the death of her father. The article is accompanied by a picture of Miss Reeves, and the two crooks are impressed with its striking resemblance to Wanda, who is seated in another part of the room. In looking over the paper Marcen discovers an advertisement for a maid at the same address and he concocts a scheme to rob the Reeves establishment by having Wanda apply for the position. She secures the position. Jimmy, a product of the slums, steals a bag of peanuts from a pushcart and, being pursued by a policeman, finds refuge upon the roof of an apartment next door to the residence of the Reeves family. Afraid of capture, Jimmy decides to remain in the safety zone and falls asleep. Next we see Mrs. Vandergrift, Alison's aunt, placing a pearl necklace, given her by her niece, under her pillow before retiring for the night. Jimmy awakens on the roof and in descending the fire escape he sees Wanda, who has been given permission to leave until the next morning, enter Mrs. Vandergrift's bedroom. He notes that Wanda removes the pearl necklace from under the pillow and also catches a glimpse of the scar on her forearm. Then he sees her take a handkerchief with the initial \"W\" plainly marked on it and drop it beside the bed. She then chloroforms Miss Reeves, and has Marcen and Jakel take the helpless heiress to an old hag in an East Side tenement house. The following morning the robbery in the Reeves household is attributed to the maid, who has disappeared, owing to the discovery of a handkerchief with the initial \"W\" marked in the corner. Wanda, who is now impersonating Allison, declares that she is positive of the maid's guilt. She succeeds in deceiving Mrs. Vandergrift, but Alison's pet dog, Toto, growls at her and indicates that he, at least has not been deceived. Wanda, fearing the dog may eventually betray her, requests that Mrs. Vandergrift remove Toto. Presently Marcen arrives and Wanda explains that he is a new acquaintance. When they are alone Marcen questions Wanda as to her success. She gives him an assortment of jewelry she has stolen, which he hides under his coat as they hear someone coming. Tom is ushered in and Wanda's face is a blank as she doesn't know Alison's fiancé, but she has sense enough to greet him cordially. Marcen leaves and manifests jealousy as he looks back through the portieres and sees Wanda clasped in Tom's arms. After Tom's departure Marcen returns and accuses Wanda of being in love with Tom. Tom returns for his gloves and comes upon them just as Marcen is kissing Wanda. Tom accuses her of faithlessness and demands the return of their engagement ring. Professing to be too overcome to get the ring at once, Wanda promises to let him have it if he will return later, and Tom leaves in indignation. Wanda tells Marcen that the situation is growing serious as the ring is in Alison's safe, and that he must get the combination for her at once. At the Childrens' Court, Jimmy is held for truancy and petty larceny and Tom, having offered to serve as a \"big brother,\" is appointed to look after him. Jimmy takes Tom to the tenement house where he lives, which happens to be the very house where Alison is being held captive. Jimmy explains to his mother who Tom is and shows her a new suit that Tom has bought for him. Marcen enters the room in the tenement, where Alison is held. He dismisses the old hag in charge of the captive and demands of Alison the combination of the safe. She refuses and while his gaze is distracted she escapes through the window and happens to run into Jimmy's room, where she sees Tom. When Marcen follows her through the window he and Tom confront each other in amazement. Marcen insists that the girl is Miss Reeves' maid who stole the pearl necklace, and that he has just succeeded in trapping her. Jimmy tells about the scar on the maid's arm that he saw from the fire escape, and Allison, to prove that she is not the maid, bares her arms. Later at the Reeves household they take Wanda by surprise, where Tom, after a while, draws the portieres aside. Then Allison enters and Wanda realizes that the game is up. She is placed under arrest. Thus the game, played for high stakes, terminates fatally for the crooks, for after their conviction, Marcen and Jakel are seen in prison clothes at work at the bench, and elsewhere in the prison Wanda is scrubbing the floor. Tom places the engagement ring upon Alison's finger as the picture fades out.