The Girl of the Sunny South (1913)

Two young scions of southern aristocracy are rivals for the hand of Miss Grace Merridew, the belle of the village, who finally succumbs to the advances of Harry Searelle, to the chagrin of Raymond Webster, a promising young attorney. Gustave Le Roy, his confidential clerk. is cognizant of his master's feelings toward Searelle, and decides to play a little game of waiting and watching. About this time the war breaks out and as fate decrees, Searelle is thrown into the power of his secret enemy, Colonel Raymond Webster, as Captain in that superior's regiment. Le Roy is also under the same command. Under the guise of friendship. Col. Raymond promises Grace that he will keep a watchful eye for the safety of her husband. Grace and her father with Moses, their faithful old servant, are left in charge of the plantation. On the firing line Raymond intercepts a letter from Grace's father, and with the assistance of Le Roy, who is an expert penman, forges a letter which indicates Grace has met with a fatal accident and begs Searelle to return home, if only for a few minutes, A battle is imminent and Raymond has arranged matters to prove that Searelle has deserted in the face of the enemy. His absence at a critical moment causes an examination of his tent, and Searelle is arrested on his way to his home. He is court-martialed and sentenced to be shot at daybreak. The next morning the Federal outposts advance on the fort of the Confederates and capture the fort. Searelle is found among the wounded and dead. The surgeon finds only a superficial wound, which has caused a complete loss of memory. In the hospital and then in the prison and until the close of war, Searelle is an unknown, nameless man without a past. Grace, who has heard of his death, reverses his memory. When Raymond returns from the war, he resumes his old advances toward Grace, and asks her to become his wife; she refuses. Things have been going bad on the old plantation, and Raymond advances money on it and secures a mortgage on the property, Searelle, now a tramp, wanders back to his old home and saves Grace from the insults of Raymond, whose evil nature comes to the surface at Grace's persistent refusal of marriage. Raymond determines to foreclose the mortgage, but is thwarted for the moment by the sale of the cotton on the old plantation. The money is in the safekeeping of Grace's father. Raymond, with the assistance of Le Roy, determines to rob the old man and turn them out of their home. Searelle, who is unknown to all, is sleeping in the house when the robbery takes place. In the struggle for the money, the old man is killed and Searelle in trying to detain the robbers, is stunned by the pistol of Le Roy. When he comes to his senses he is arrested as the murderer and is sentenced for life. Le Roy, upon whom the stolen money is found, is convicted as his accomplice, but as Raymond promises him his freedom, he remains silent. Le Roy manages to make his escape from the prison and Searelle goes with him. They take refuge in an outward-bound steamer. While they are stowaways in the hold, Le Roy by accident sets the ship on fire. The vessel burns and the boilers explode. After many privations, they are picked up by a tramp steamer bound for home. Le Roy discovers that Raymond attempted his life in the prison, and overcome with Searelle's bravery in saving him from the wreck, he makes up his mind to tell the truth. The terrible privations Searelle underwent produces brain fever, and recovery brings back with it his lost memory. They return home. Raymond is denounced to the authorities by Le Roy, and in attempting to escape arrest, is killed. Searelle and Grace are reunited, and old Mose rejoices in the return of his dear old master.