The Toll of Love (1914)

May Cairns proved when given the chance to take the star's part to be a luminary of the first magnitude, and to the little girl John Gale's kiss was greatly welcomed, for she secretly loved the theatrical manager, whose kisses and daily attention was a token of gratitude, for the little star was piling up the wealth in the box office. May endeared herself with the theatergoers, and nothing marred her happiness until she read in the newspapers that John Gale and his wife were about to mate a journey to Europe to be away for six months. She had never dreamed of his being married. Joe Burns, Gale's pal, tried to interest May, but only one man occupied the throne she had erected in her heart and Gale was that man. When May found that Gale was married, she felt that he wronged her in not telling her, so when she tore off the costume of Portia, the part she played, she heard only the call of her heart, and recalled how Gale nightly pointed to the crowd at the box office as he helped her out of his automobile and said, "All because of you, dear, and all for me." She became obsessed with a desire to go away somewhere to forget, so she quit the company. She felt a snapping in her heart. She realized her future was dead. Then Joe came back into her life. She visited the café where she and Gale had passed so many happy hours. Soon her purse became empty. Some of her old stage pals replenished it. Antonio was particularly helpful but the gaunt figure of want began to look up large. She had to let her maid go. Joe took her out to dine, when he heard that the little girl was leading the life of a butterfly. A silhouette of May and another kissing held away the hand that poised above the door knob, and Joe read failure through the shadow from the lamp's glare. Then the Gales returned. Hay was dining with Antonio as Jack and Mrs. Gale entered. May saw only Jack. Love overpowered her; her senses fled, and, coatless she wandered to the street. A policeman thus found her and took her to the police station. The prison bars, against which she beat her frail body in an attempt to cry out against injustice, appalled her. She longed for the path that was straight. Her past life floated before her in panoramic mockery, and she was beckoning a victim of despair when Mrs. Gale interested herself in uplift work. She became interested in the little star, and unknown to each other they planned a future. Mrs. Gale took her home with her. Jack was away with a road company and she learned to love her angel of mercy. Gale returned. May was heartbroken when she found herself in the home of the man who had wronged her. She wanted to protect the little wife that had become so dear to her, and at night planned to go quietly Gale had the same thought until he could get May away with a road show, and they came together in the drawing-room. Jack was taking away a bag of money. May didn't need any, but when Mrs. Gale awakened by the sobs of the little star and she found she and her husband together, doubt began to creep into her mind. May took it all in at a glance. Insisting that Jack play his part and remain with the woman he swore to love, she took the bag of money to cast suspicion upon herself. The wife believed her to be a thief and set the police onto her trail, but they didn't find her, although the trail led to the water's edge. They recovered the money, but decreasing ripples told a dramatic story to what end the little star had gone to protect the sanctity of the home of the woman she had learned to love.