The story
“Jack Redfern is a young bachelor who has finally succumbed to the charms of the other sex and arranged for a dive into matrimony. At this momentous stage of his life he receives a following note in feminine handwriting: ‘Dear Jack: Ever so glad to hear of your approaching marriage. It is the best thing you ever did in your life. I know. I tried it twice. An old sweetheart of yours.’ Gazing into the fire, Jack dreamily contemplates the letter and tries to think which ‘old sweetheart’ it could be.
“Could it be Betty, his schoolgirl sweetheart? He conjures up a vision of her as she looked in the old days, walking slowly down the country road swinging her books on their strap. She is startled to see a fight going on further down the road. She runs to the scene of the combat and finds that the participants are Jack and another schoolboy. Betty rushes between them and stops the fight. Jack explains to her that the other fellow says she loves him best. Betty makes the boys shake hands, then kisses Jack. The other boy goes off feeling blue. Betty and Jack are then seen holding hands and Jack carrying Betty’s books.
“The vision fades and next he dreams of Kate, his football mascot. Could she have written that startling note? He sees a corner of the grandstand at a football game, with Kate in the front row vigorously waving a college flag. Jack, a player in the game, hurts his wrist, to Kate’s great grief. Heroic Kate bandages his wrist with her lace handkerchief. Could Tootsie of the Gayety have been the writer? As Kate’s vision fades, a picture of Tootsie comes before him as he saw her in the stage. He sees himself throwing her a huge bunch of violets which she fervently kisses, while he looks supremely happy.
“Then a vision of Elizabeth, his fair co-ed arises. Elizabeth and he, both in cap and gown, walk slowly along the college campus, reading from the same book. As they cross a road, an auto containing a party of visitors comes swiftly upon them, and so engrossed are they in their book that they do not see the danger until too late. Elizabeth, who is nearest the auto, is knocked down, despite Jack’s efforts to save her. Jack and the autoist revive her; opening her eyes, she smiles up into Jack’s face and assures him that she is all right. He assists her to her feet and gently leads her to the auto. Then in turn he calls up visions of Clara, the summer girl, as he suddenly left her when her father chased him off the premises. Of Jeanette, the fascinating young widow who tricked him; of Helen, whom he could have married had he not met Mary, the sweetest sweetheart of them all, whom he awakes to wed! His final vision is at the wedding, where, as the ceremony is being performed, he sees the group of old sweethearts waving good luck to him.”
Summary from The Moving Picture World · 10 December 1910
