Through the Valley of Shadows (1914)

Dr Cross is so absorbed in his profession that his young wife, Alice, is left practically without any companionship beyond that of her dog, Jean. With nothing to occupy her mind, she becomes desperately lonely, but when she seeks to enter more fully into her husband's life he puts her off, pleading the importance of his work, and tells her to go about more with friends of her own age. Following his advice, Alice joins some acquaintances who are rehearsing an amateur dramatic performance, and there meets with Oscar Mailling, a matinee idol, who is assisting them in the production of their play. Under the excuse of teaching her how to play her part, Mailling covertly makes violent love to her. Awakening to the danger of their intimacy, Alice decides that she must see no more of Mailling, but shortly afterwards she receives word that he is coming to call upon her. Fearing his influence, she pleads with her husband to abandon his work for this one occasion and spend the afternoon with her, but he cannot understand why his work should be interrupted, and lightly puts her off by giving her extra money to spend. On the platform, while waiting for the arrival of his train, Dr. Cross buys a paper, and in glancing over it, comes across the following paragraph: "We wonder what a certain doctor will do when he hears of the affair between his wife and a well-known actor, especially as the latter does not hesitate to boast of his latest conquest at the club." The bearing of the paragraph on his own case immediately strikes him; he is unwilling to harbor suspicion of his wife, but he cannot dispel the uneasy thought which has suddenly dawned upon him that his neglect may have driven her to seek consolation elsewhere. Reluctantly he returns home, only to find his wife in Mailling's arms, and to overhear the details of their proposed elopement. Dumbfounded by his discovery, he enters the room and confronts them. At first they both uphold the pretense that they have been merely rehearsing for another play, but this does not deceive Dr. Cross, and he demands that Alice choose between himself and Mailling. When Mailling hears that she cares more for him than for her husband, his true character is revealed. Instead of standing by her, he disclaims all responsibility and puts the blame entirely on the woman. The doctor controls his temper, and allows Mailling to leave the house. Alice now sees the true character of the two men, and, without attempting to condone her own fault, tries to explain to her husband that through his apparent neglect of her she has come to believe that he did not love her. But he will not hear her out. He breaks into a storm of passionate denunciation, and tells her he wishes he had never seen her face. She leaves his home. At the end of her resources, and lacking a practical education, she seeks employment in the theater. In this work she cannot avoid meeting Mailling, who renews his attention. She tells him, however, that she would rather starve than accept any favor at his hands, and out of pique, he sees to it that as far as theatrical engagements are concerned this would be her fate. She is finally reduced to such casual work as she can procure in the sweater's dens. After a time Dr. Cross realizes that he is perhaps equally to blame for the estrangement, and does all in his power to trace his wife. He is finally driven to making an appeal to Mailling. who not only lies in disclaiming knowledge of her whereabouts, hut gives him the impression that, in view of her life with others, Alice would welcome neither his own nor the doctor's attentions. A year passes, and Dr. Cross, unable to remain longer amid the surroundings that so continually remind him of his wife, takes Jean and leaves that house that was once his home, and devotes himself to charity work. Meanwhile Alice is driven from her work in the sweater's shop to avoid the coarse attentions of the foreman of the shops. She wanders along the Thames and is only saved from ending her troubles by the intervention of an actress, who gives her food and shelter. The actress then introduces her to the producer at the moving picture studio. He sees in her possibilities, and allots her a leading part in the photoplay about to be made. This play tells the story of a young married woman who was lured from her home by a man of the world, and afterwards deserted by him. The climax is reached when the villain of the piece, accompanied by a society lady on a "slumming" expedition, meets his victim in a garret. Taunted by him beyond endurance, the grief-stricken woman is supposed to stab him in the heart. The man chosen to play the villain's part is Oscar Mailling. The shock of the meeting, and the fact that Mailling plays his part to character whose circumstances are so similar to her own. Mailling's sneers, coupled with the producer's advice to let herself go and play the part as if it were her own case, goad her to desperation, and when the time comes for the fatal thrust, the knife goes home. Amid the consternation and confusion which ensues, on the discovery of what appears to be purely an accident, Alice takes refuge in her dressing room. The nearest doctor is called, and proves to be no other than her husband, who recognizes the wounded man, but by prompt action saves his life. He is then tailed to attend to Alice. The doctor's joy at finding his wife is short-lived, for she collapses and becomes unconscious as the result of the strain. He removes her to his home, where, under his tender care, she is brought safely through the valley of shadows.