The Making Over of Geoffrey Manning (1915)

Brought up in idleness, Geoffrey Manning is one of the most self-complacent individuals possible to imagine. His hardworking father often reprimands him for his laziness, but he only laughs, until a young social "uplifter" gives him a verbal jolt that sets Geoffrey to thinking. The result is that, taking only Mathews, the family lawyer, into his confidence, Geoffrey tells his father he is going hunting indefinitely, and disappears from his little world. In a cheap suit of clothes, and with very little money in his pockets, he sets out determined to make his own living unaided. What a rude awakening he experiences. No training, no experience, he finds himself unable to secure a job, of no use to anyone. Finally he gets work tearing up the street with a rough gang, and although he is strongly built, the work almost kills him. But he is game. Then he gets a job in the big steel mills, the very one owned by his father. Under an assumed name he goes steadily up the ladder of promotion in the huge forge room. Becoming interested in labor troubles. Manning has become a popular leader among the men, who go to him for counsel in all their troubles. Meanwhile he has met and fallen in love with Harmony Laurie, a pretty music teacher and a girl of sterling character. He rescues the girl from a fire at the mill, nearly losing his life. On his return to work he finds the men on the verge of striking, and as their old leader, takes up their grievances in person with his father and "boss." His lather, on learning his identity, is overjoyed and makes him superintendent of the mills. Then Geoffrey secures justice for the mill workers. He marries Harmony, allowing her to think him a poor man until the very day he brings her into their beautiful home.