- A mountain girl is seduced by a traveler from the valley. Her brother tracks the seducer down and kills him. In retaliation, the sheriff captures the brother and prepares to lynch him. Mother intervenes and, to save her son the disgrace of hanging, shoots him.—Anonymous
- In the hills of old Kentucky death was always preferable to dishonor, and once there occurred a blot on the family's good name it was never effaced. Such, whose fate it befell to incur the tarnish, were shunned as moral lepers. This was the awful anticipation of the mother when she did the deed that terminates our story. The family, comprising mother, father, son and a harum-scarum daughter, knew nothing of the world outside the old blue hills where they lived. Their ways were simple and honest. The harum-scarum was loved by a humble mountain poet, but she, hare-brained, could not appreciate his candor. One evening a belated traveler from the valley calls and asks food and shelter for the night, and although they are at first inclined to turn him away. Harum-Scarum, no doubt struck with his manly appearance, induces them to accommodate him. The valley man at first is amused by the antics of the harum-scarum, and as he leaves in the morning is impressed by the fact that the little rattle-brained girl is in love with him. The consent to meet him is easily obtained, and during the husking dance she steals away to the spot selected. These clandestine meetings become regular occasions, until at last the brother's suspicion is aroused. He follows her on one of her journeys, and arrives just in time to see her cruelly deserted by her lover of the valleys. He questions her, but an answer is unnecessary, and drives her home, just as the old father comes into view over the rocks. The boy, unarmed, borrows the old man's revolver, and bolts off, leaving the father standing perplexed, for he is unaware of his motive. Following the valley man, he catches up with him as he enters the village. Here he demands that the man go back and right the wrong. His demand is refused and the valley man pays the penalty. The vigilance party are soon on the boy's trail and surround his borne. They are met by the old mother, who fights ferociously with them at the door. She is overpowered, however, and the sheriff finds the boy hidden in the fireplace. Taking him outside, the mother, who has revived, asks what they intend doing with him. He is to be hanged at once. Hanged! Oh, the ignominy of such an end. What a smirch to the family honor. Cunningly she contrives to avert this awful end. Begging the officer to be allowed to get her son a drink, she goes, and returns with a dipper of water. As he drinks, she shows him a pistol concealed beneath her apron. He nods assent, and it meant but a touch of the trigger to cheat the gibbet. The party, seeing their work anticipated, depart. At this point, the girl realizing that she is the cause of it all rushes out and falls prostrate on her dead brother, but the mother hurls her aside and, with an invective, casts her adrift. The humble mountain poet, still deeply in love with her, is more charitable, and blaming the stranger, and not the unsophisticated mountain girl, takes her in his arms and leads her away. We last see them making their way over the hills with the shades of night slowly shutting them from view.—Moving Picture World synopsis
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