The story
“They were married at the little country church where they had worshipped all their lives, and were very happy, although they had no wealth—only youth, health, and happiness. The wealth came later, for an almost forgotten mining venture turned out to be immensely profitable, and before they had time to realize it they were millionaires. It was at the wife’s plea that they moved to a fashionable suburban colony in the East, and she dreamed of the time when she would be a member of high society. The first thing to do, of course, was to find someone who would show her how to get inside the sacred portals, and she hired a social secretary, hoping that he would coach and educate her husband and herself, as well as be their sponsor with the ‘Four Hundred.’ The young wife was happy in getting the secretary she wanted, a man of an old family, but much embarrassed financially. She studied her ‘society lessons’ with zest and warmly welcomed the persons, more or less in society, who were brought to the house by the secretary.
“The husband, on the other hand, did not find the new game either interesting or exciting, and showed it. He and his wife at first bickered mildly, then quarreled violently, and in time there was a divorce. The secretary saw his way clear to a fortune. He made love to the divorcée, and she was flattered by his standing in the world of fashion. She agreed to marry him, and would have done so had it not been that his perfidy was made clear to herself, although unwittingly. Broken-hearted, the woman decided to go back to the village where she had once been so happy, and she did not even bid her faithless suitor good-bye. On the train enroute home, she entered the dining car and was given the only vacant seat, one at a table built for two. And across the way was her former husband, as much surprised as she was. For, as it turned out, he, too, was going home. When they first came to the city, full of joy and anticipation, they had eaten in a dining car, which the wife had pronounced as ‘wonderful.’ Now, they were again in one, but things were different. Still, it made them think of the other happier days and to wistfully wonder if they would ever have such times again.
“The wife’s visit being unexpected, there was no one to meet her at the depot, and she was forced to accept the invitation of her ex-husband to drive her home. Their way led them past the little church where they had been made man and wife, and the husband called her attention to it. ‘We have both made mistakes; let’s forget them and start afresh,’ he said, and the woman, who was really heartsick and secretly sorry about the divorce, consented. So, hand in hand, they re-entered the church and were married all over again. This time, however, they were very happy and remained so, for each had learned the lesson that a couple must not let money, or lack of it, divide them after marriage, and that mutual concessions and forbearances are needed if matrimony is to be a success..”
Summary from The Moving Picture News · 27 January 1912
Another synopsis, from The Moving Picture World · 3 February 19121 min
“A poor but happy married young couple moved to a fashionable suburban colony in the East. They hired a social secretary to educate them and be their sponsor with the ‘four hundred.’ The secretary was a man of an old family, but much embarrassed financially. The wife studied her ‘society lessons’ and welcomed persons, more or less in society, who were brought to the house by the secretary. The husband did not find the new game interesting or exciting, and showed it. He and his wife at first bickered mildly, then quarreled violently, and in time there was a divorce. The secretary saw his way clear to a fortune. He made love to the divorcee, and she was flattered by his standing in the world of fashion. She agreed to marry him, but his perfidy was made clear to her by himself, unwittingly. Broken hearted the woman decided to go back to the village where she had once been so happy. On the train, enroute home, she entered the dining car and was given the only vacant seat, one at a table. Across the way was her former husband. He too was going home. When they first came to the city they had eaten in a dining car. Now they were again in one, but things were different. There was no one to meet her at the depot, and she was forced to accept the invitation of her ex-husband to drive her home. They went past the little church where they had been married and the husband called her attention to it. ‘We have both made mistakes, let’s forget them and start afresh,’ he said, and the woman consented. So hand in hand they re-entered the church, and were married all over again.”
