Flirting with Fate (1916)

Young artist "Augy" Ainsworth is long on art and short on funds. He sees Gladys Kingsley, a girl of wealth and social position, in the park one day and immediately falls in love with her. He manages to get an invitation to an affair at which Gladys is to be present and is introduced to her. However, an aunt of Gladys' learns that he is penniless and frowns on his suit, instead urging her niece to become engaged to wealthy Roland Dabney. Despite her aunt's prohibition, Gladys falls in love with Augy and he is on the point of proposing, but he loses his courage and when Gladys' friend Phyllis tries to help him by allowing him to practice his proposal on her, Gladys overhears the rehearsal, thinks that Augy is unfaithful, and promptly accepts Dabney. Augy determines to commit suicide when he finds out, but when he starts to inhale gas he discovers that the last bit of gas has run out of his quarter-in-the-slot meter and he has no quarter. He goes to a saloon to get change and meets "Automatic Joe," a notorious gunman who is supposed to do murder for pay. He arranges with Joe to shoot him at some unexpected moment and then goes back to his room to await his fate. Then a wonderful change takes place. Gladys learns the truth, breaks her engagement to Dabney, and sends for Augy. A relative also dies and leaves him a million dollars. His inheritance makes the aunt only too willing to accept Augy. Then poor Augy remembers that Joe is to shoot him at some unexpected moment. He remembers Joe is given to wearing disguises, particularly disguises of beard effects, and he thinks every man with a beard is Joe. He takes to wearing a beard himself and finally goes to the police station. A detective assigned to the case disguises himself with a beard and Augy thinking him Joe has the run of his life trying to escape from the detective, who merely wants to consult with him. In the meantime Joe has been converted by the Salvation Army. He is anxious to return the money Augy has paid for his own killing. He sees Augy just as he is returning from church with his bride and when he approaches to give him the money, scares the life out of the poor bridegroom, who leaves his bride and flees for his life.