Gold and the Woman (1916)

Chandos, an early English settler in America, tries to buy from Chief Duskara of the Wiconicoes 1000 acres of land known as "The Valley of Shadow," which have been given by grant to the Indian chief. Duskara refuses to sell "The Valley of the Shadow" and hides the grant in a hollow tree. Chandos and his son murder Duskara and the settler forges the chief's name to a deed transferring the property to the Chandos family. Duskara's dying squaw utters a curse against the Chandos family and all its issue, on whom she seeks to invoke blindness. Generations come and go; finally teenage Hester Gray is the descendant of the early settler, and the heir to "The Valley of Shadow," and Lee Duskara, a student at Harvard, is the great-great-grandson of the Indian chief. Hester and Lee are thrown much together and fall in love. Lee asks Colonel Ernest Dent, Hester's guardian, for permission to marry the latter's ward. Dent, who was a friend of Hester's father, has become embroiled with Juliet Cordova, a Mexican adventuress who is serving as his secretary. Juliet's power over Dent is absolute. He consults her on even the most trivial of subjects. When Juliet learns that Lee desires to marry Hester, she takes steps to prevent the marriage. Simulating the utmost innocence, she compromises Lee and the latter is rejected by Hester. "The Valley of Shadow" is no longer the quiet, picturesque tract of Chief Duskara's time. The most productive coal mines in the world stretch across its broad expanse. It is these, or rather their revenue, that Juliet covets. She induces Dent to marry Hester. After the marriage she intrudes herself into the home of Dent and Hester, nominally as Dent's secretary. Hester is stricken with blindness, and Dent, at Juliet's persuasion, tries to have Hester deed away her title to "The Valley of Shadow." Finally Hester discovers the dual life that Dent has been leading. She is groping her way through her husband's study when she comes upon Juliet and Dent, asleep, locked in each other's arms in a chair. She runs from the house with the purpose of committing suicide. Lee Duskara, who, incidentally, has established his title to "The Valley of Shadow," prevents her from carrying out her purpose. Dent dies, a victim of his own self-indulgence. Lee again declares his love for Hester, and this time is accepted.