The story
“Arabella has dwelt alone in optimistic hopefulness that her neighbor, the grouchy, woman-hating sea salt, whom she has raised to the exalted character of ‘Prince,’ will someday take notice of her and stop in to have tea with her and her cat. At length, despairing, she writes a pretty little note about her plight, signs it ‘The Princess’ and sends it floating in a bottle down the stream toward the place where her hero is fishing. He scorns it, but Clavering Jones, Jr., aged ten, finds it instead, on the banks of a neighboring town. He writes the Princess and asks if he may come and play. The village gossips get hold of it. The sea salt forsakes his ways, discovers unnoticed charms in the neglected Arabella. She, however, does not care what he thinks now. The day arrives, and with it Clavering Jones. Both he and the Princess are a little disappointed in the disparagement [sic] in their years. But they managed to have a lot of fun playing marbles and eating cakes. Meanwhile the villagers discover that Clavering Jones is a married man. Headed by the irate salt they approach Arabella’s door, bent on routing the scoundrel. The sight that greets their eyes makes them feel foolish. But Arabella gets her Prince.”
Summary from The Moving Picture World · 14 October 1916
