Gloria's Romance (1916)

Demure-but-spunky Gloria Stafford, sister of David Stafford, and daughter of Pierpont Stafford, a wealthy banker, goes with them to Palm Beach for the winter. Gloria is sixteen and vivacious, bubbling over with fun and good spirits, and naturally resents the rules and regulations under which her governess would have her follow. However, she takes advantage of every chance to escape the governess' eye, and romps about like a tom-boy. Family friends Judge Freeman and his daughter, Lois, also arrive in Palm Beach, where Lois is being courted by Dr. Stephen Royce, who also pays a lot of attention to Gloria. Brother David thinks Lois is swell. Richard Freneau, a young broker, becomes acquainted with both families, and is soon a rival of David's for the swell Lois. Glora takes a night drive along the beach in David's new racing automobile and manages to drive it into the ocean, where it doesn't float. She escapes but loses her way when she attempts to walk home alone, and the dawn finds her wandering around in the Everglades. She has borrowed a suit of boy's clothes, as her wet gown was not suitable for Everglade exploring, and is found by some Seminole Indians. Freneau, looking for her finds that Dr. Steve has found her first. However, while Dr. Steve is engaged in some hand-to-hand combat with one of the hostile Indians, Freneau, the Cad, escorts her safely home, and is unjustly hailed as her rescuer, since Gloria was unconscious when Dr. Steve came upon the scene. Back home in New York City, Freneau has made his case and is soon engaged to Gloria, while Dr. Steve remains a silent witness on the sidelines. Gloria has to determine which man is the best man for her, and she eventually does so - after nineteen more damsel-in-distress chapters.