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  • A Man's Sins (1916)
  • Short | Short, Drama
A Man's Sins (1916)
Short | Short, Drama

In a quaint little old-fashioned house an old maid lived with her 20-year-old orphan niece. The aunt's little fortune dwindled away through unfortunate investments, and the niece insisted on adding to the family income by securing ...See moreIn a quaint little old-fashioned house an old maid lived with her 20-year-old orphan niece. The aunt's little fortune dwindled away through unfortunate investments, and the niece insisted on adding to the family income by securing employment. She secured a position in a wealthy family as governess to two young children. The nephew of the girl's employer was an unscrupulous youth, who fascinated the little governess and won her confidence. She learned too late that he had no intention of marrying her. The man was soon married to a wealthy society girl, and on the day of the wedding the little governess died and her baby girl was born. The man knew nothing of the child, but the old aunt cherished it. The orphan grew to womanhood in ignorance of her parentage, and became a nurse in a large hospital. The lives of the nurse and her father ran far apart until the day came when the father was brought into the hospital, unconscious and badly injured. His automobile had plunged over a cliff, killing his wife and badly injuring him. During the time he spent in the hospital he grew greatly attached to his nurse. He had another daughter. Two men had come into the young nurse's life. One was a young doctor, an interne at the hospital where she was employed, who loved her devotedly and wished to marry her; the other was a wealthy young man, the son of an elderly lady whom she had nursed at her home. The rich youth did not realize the sterling qualities of the nurse, and tried to take advantage of her, but quickly learned his mistake. When the widower returned to his home, he was still far from well, and his young nurse accompanied him to care for him during his convalescence, so the father and his two daughters were under the same roof, and the old maiden aunt at last had her opportunity for revenge. The resemblance between the two girls was remarkable, and the old aunt determined to use this coincidence to blight the life of the young heiress and to wreak vengeance upon her father. The aunt induced her unsuspecting niece to invite the heiress to her home, and cleverly arranged meetings between the rich youth and the heiress. The old woman told her little victim that it would be so romantic to pretend that she was a penniless little nurse instead of a young lady of wealth, while she warned the young man that any reference to the past would displease her niece. The deception was maintained, the man believing that his affair with the young nurse had been renewed, while the heiress fondly believed that her new suitor, believing her poor, could care only for her. An elopement was arranged, and the wealthy youth and the heiress left the old woman's home to take the train for Washington. While the couple were on their way to the railway station the aunt went to the sick man's home and confronted him. The invalid was startled when he recognized the aunt of the girl whom he had wronged, but he was stunned when she told him how she had arranged to have his daughter, the child of the woman he had married, share the same fate. In vain he pleaded, but the little nurse heard, and in her heart was only compassion for the girl who was to suffer for her father's sin. She summoned her sweetheart, the young doctor, and together the two sped to the railway station, hoping to be in time to overtake the elopers. They arrived in time, but destiny had already punished the man whom the heiress had believed to be all that was good and noble, and the two rescuers led the weeping girl out of the station, while the body of the man was borne away. "Go home to your father," the little nurse said to the heiress, "and tell him for me that I believe in forgiving a penitent." The rich girl believed that the nurse meant that the father should forgive her elopement, but the young doctor understood the true meaning of the word, forgiveness for the father's sin. The nurse could freely give it, for the young physician, in spite of her life story, loved her devotedly and was soon to marry her. Written by Moving Picture World synopsis See less
Read more: Plot summary
Writer
Philip Lonergan (scenario)
Producer
Edwin Thanhouser (producer)
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Status
Edit Released
Updated Apr 20, 1916

Release date
Apr 20, 1916 (United States)

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Cast

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6 cast members
Name Known for
Nellie Parker Spaulding
An Elderly Spinster An Elderly Spinster   See fewer
Grace DeCarlton
The Spinster's Niece / The Niece's Daughter (dual role) The Spinster's Niece / The Niece's Daughter (dual role)   See fewer
Edwin Stanley
The Young Doctor The Young Doctor   See fewer
Daniel Leighton
The Businessman The Businessman   See fewer
Ethyle Cooke
The Businessman's Wife The Businessman's Wife   See fewer
Isolde C. Illian
The Businessman's Daughter The Businessman's Daughter   See fewer
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