The story
“Peggy was a poor fisherman’s daughter, and her life was without the numerous parties and social affairs that were part of the lot of the more fortunate; but she was as anxious to enjoy life as the majority of pretty girls. A mother and daughter in better circumstances were endeavouring to persuade a wealthy young bachelor that the daughter’s charms were unequalled. In order to further convince the young man, they gave a fancy dress ball, the invitations being sent out typewritten on the inside of masks. The butler was given the job of delivering them, and on the way accidentally dropped one. Peggy came along and found it, and after some deliberation determined to take the risk and attend the ball attired as she was in her ordinary clothes. Now previous to the affair the daughter confided to the young bachelor the fact that she would be disguised as a beggar maid. But when the affair came off the young man mistook Peggy for the daughter, and made ardent love to her all the evening, much to the real daughter’s discomfort. At midnight everybody unmasked. The butler recognised the imposter and informed his young mistress. The mother suddenly missed her diamond brooch, so the daughter in revenge sent for the police. The young man, however, had now become infatuated with Peggy’s charms, and gallantly defended her against the daughter’s accusation that the fisherman’s daughter was a thief. The brooch was soon found, and Peggy’s innocence established. The young bachelor did not lose sight of the young lady after the ball, and eventually won her to the great annoyance of the wealthier girl. (Released April 6th. Length 1,016 feet.)”
Summary from The Cinema · 12 March 1914
Another synopsis, from The Moving Picture World · 20 December 19131 min
“A society woman who lives in a suburb near the sea had laid her plans to insure the marriage of her daughter to a wealthy young banker. The banker accepted an invitation to spend the weekend at her home, and was also to be one of the guests at a masquerade party the mother was to give. To secure novelty the woman, instead of issuing regular invitations, had them printed on the back of masks, so that each guest would bring his mask and invitation at the same time. The servant, whose duty it was to distribute the invitations, lost one of them and did not discover it until later. The lost invitation was found by a poor fisher girl, who, yielding to sudden impulse, donned the mask on the night of the party and freely mingled with the other guests. It happened that the daughter of the house had hoped to secure the attention of the young banker, and she told him that she had arranged to be dressed as a beggar maid. This led to a natural mistake and the banker devoted all of his time to the real beggar maid, with whom he fell more and more in love. His mistake was not discovered until the guests unmasked at midnight, and then a servant told the society girl that the fisher maid had obtruded there uninvited. At the same time the girl’s mother claimed that she had been robbed of one of her jewels and suspicion naturally fell upon the poor girl. The young banker warmly defended her and by his action won her love and gratitude. The society girl soon found that her plans to marry the banker had utterly failed, for in the course of time the rich man and the girl became man and wife.”
Another synopsis, from Reel Life · 13 December 19131 min
“A poor, but very beautiful, fisher-girl proves the Cinderella of the great event of the Shellpoint season. Mrs. Horatio Vanderlee, the eminent society leader, whose summer home is at Shellpoint-by-the-Sea, gives a ball masque, and invites a rich young banker down from New York—for the special purpose of bringing about a betrothal between her daughter and the ‘catch’ of their social circle. Aspiring to be unique, she writes the invitations on the inside of the masques, and has her butler deliver them at the homes of her guests. One of the masques is lost and Peggy O’Neil, a fisher-girl, finds it. At the ball, Farland falls in love with Peggy—and at the unmasking the intruder is discovered. That night Mrs. Vanderlee loses a diamond brooch, and Peggy is accused of stealing it. The young banker defends her—love deepens between them—and the fisher-girl marries the prince.”
