When Mandy Came to Town

In appearance he was a "Rube," but he was comfortably well off and steadily growing richer. He ran the "opery house." Then came the temptation of this rural St. Anthony, a one-night stand actress. It must be admitted that there was some excuse for the girl. Her company had had the hardest kind of sledding. They had no money. So the girl told her troubles to the rural magnate. The rich man wept; then gave freely of his wealth, and the company moved on to the next stand. The girl was ready to act the next season. She had an engagement and a lovely role, the only difficulty was, that it was a financial impossibility to take the troupe across the East River, unless an angel was found. So her thoughts naturally turned to the "Rube." She invited him to the city to talk over a "wonderful opportunity." Gladly he accepted, telling his trusting wife that "important business" was to blame, but he lost the woman's note, his child picked it up, and although Mandy was very small, she was able to realize that something was wrong, and decided to do what she could to put matters right. By the time that Mandy arrived at the New York hotel, the dinner given in honor of the "Rube" was at its height. The festivities were too much for the rural visitor, and he had dropped off asleep. He was awakened by hearing sarcastic laughter. Drowsily he opened his eyes, blinkingly he looked around. The mirth was caused by his little daughter, and these "show folks," who had seemed to him to be excellent comrades, were brutally jeering at her. It came to him with a shock of surprise, that neither he nor his daughter were properly placed, and he realized that the only reason he had been tolerated was because of his money. Grieved and indignant, he gathered his child in his arms, and left "Bohemian life" forever. In the morning when the country wife came downstairs at dawn, she was glad to greet her husband, who, she believed, had arrived on the early morning train. She was puzzled, however, at the warmth of his embrace, and also because he had led her into the baby's room, and stood glancing at their sleeping child with new love in his eyes. For the wife did not know that Mandy went to town. - IMDb