The Mark of Cain (1916)

Dick Temple is living a happy life with his parents, but for many years his father has been a crook. One night the police come for him. Dick, in order to save his mother the pain of knowing that her husband is dishonest, takes the blame on himself and is sent to prison. Before he goes, his father promises to live honestly, but two years later he dies without confessing his true character. Some years later Dick is released from prison on good behavior. In vain he searches for some trace of his family. Employers are wary of hiring a jailbird. Doris lives with her Uncle Jake, who makes her steal for a living and beats her when the returns are not large enough. At last Doris can stand it no longer and decides to run away. But the dreary streets are the only paths open to her and in despair she too, resorts to the river. She is prevented from committing suicide by Dick, who has come there for the same purpose. Their common plight forms a tie for a strong friendship and they decide to help each other. However, the task is too much and they are at last destitute. Each fights his own battle. Doris is tempted to steal again, and Dick is sorely tempted to leave the straight path he has cut out for himself so as not to starve. One day Doris rescues a child from a burning house, and as a reward is given a position as nurse. Dick meanwhile determines that he will steal rather than see Doris starve. But being a novice he is easily detected by the man whose pocket he tries to pick. Dick pleads with him and the man finally consents to give him a position in his office. Later a detective calls and tells the man, Graham, that Dick is an ex-convict. Graham is glad to hear this, as he himself is a crook, which gives him a hold over Dick. When he finds out that Doris is in the Wilson home, he plans to rob the house with her help. They send Dick to get in the house and then let the gang in. Dick arrives to find Doris alone with the housekeeper. Doris is very excited, being on the point of letting Jake and his pal in to rob the house. She confesses her past life and he takes the hysterical girl to the housekeeper. Imagine his surprise and joy when he finds that the housekeeper is his mother. Dick then gets the idea of getting both crowds of crooks in the house and setting them on each other. As a result Jake is killed and Graham mortally wounded. But before dying he confesses and exonerates Dick from any blame in the crime. Doris and Dick marry, live right, and later welcome a beautiful baby into their little home.