- Beam opens a boarding house and many interesting characters are introduced. She spreads her optimism to their lives. Also to her blind father by telling him army stories about her brother when in actuality, he's deserted.
- Beam only saw the silver lining of the dark clouds, for she lived in the streets of illusion. She wore a small chain around her neck, from which hung a gold medal with the inscription of "13." This was her wishing charm. Her fondest pleasure was caring for her blind father and she would read him false stories regarding her brother who was fighting in Mexico. On the other hand, Robert was fighting a bigger battle than that of war. Reduced in circumstances, Beam was forced to rent the vacant rooms in the old house which at one time was the social center in New York. Donald Morton, a wealthy young man, was in love with Beam. He spoke to his father about her but he received little encouragement as his father was not interested in anything, as he imagined he was always ill. Wishing to end it all, he rents a room in an out of the way place. Fortunately, it was Beam's home in which he engaged the room. Beam was reading to her father, when suddenly her attention was attracted to the door. Astounded she sees Robert. He had deserted. Stealing away from her father, she brings Robert upstairs and is tenderly embracing him, when Donald came out into the hall. Seeing Donald, Beam quickly conceals Robert in her room. Donald insists on an explanation. To save her brother, Beam tells him that the man was a new boarder. Disappointed, Donald leaves. A few minutes later, Robert heard Beam pleading with someone on the stairs. Leaving the room, he discovers Beam in the arms of one of the boarders. For the first time he felt the spirit to fight. With a quick dash, he overpowers the man. Hearing the voice of his son, his father comes out and proclaims him a hero. Just then the phone rang. Col. Thompson, of Robert's regiment, notified him to report back to camp as he had it so arranged that it was believed he was on a furlough.
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By what name was The Streets of Illusion (1917) officially released in Canada in English?
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