Harry Archer, Sydney Ayres, and Doris Pawn in The Sting of Conscience (1916)

Sydney Ayres

Louella Maxam

V.T. Henderson

F. McGrew Willis

Gavin McDonald of the wilds of the North had fallen in love with a girl from the city. After their marriage the wife persuaded her husband to give up his wild life and to enjoy the luxuries of civilization. The father&apos;s heart was ...

George Cochrane

The Sting of Conscience

Gavin McDonald of the wilds of the North had fallen in love with a girl from the city. After their marriage the wife persuaded her husband to give up his wild life and to enjoy the luxuries of civilization. The father's heart was set on raising his boy in the North. He had recognized the mockery of society and had often pleaded with his wife to return with him to the wilderness. She preferred the life of the city. Hale McGraw, of the C.N.W.M.P., and his wife are friends of the McDonalds. McGraw begins to neglect his own wife and show attention to McDonald's. McGraw and McDonald's wife indulge in a love scene. Later they elope, and when McDonald learns of their act he takes his son far from the abode of women and raises him in a masculine world. McGraw and Mrs. McDonald arrive in a distant city and they realize what they have done. They determine to return and right the error, if possible. Mrs. McDonald finds her husband gone with the baby to parts unknown. McGraw's wife refuses to forgive him for the part he has played. Some time later McGraw's wife dies, leaving to his care her baby girl. He, unable to bear the sight of familiar places, gets transferred to the far North and takes charge of the post. Far among the mountains McDonald sees his boy grow through childhood to early manhood. He is known among the trappers and traders as "John o' the Mountains." He has never seen a woman. One day in reading a magazine he sees pictures of women. He is captivated by their beauty, and the father, coming upon him tears the magazine from his hand. John is sent to the post with the annual catch of skins and realizes quite a sum of money from their sale. He also meets Cherry Melotte, one of the inmates of the dance hall and becomes infatuated with her. She is tired of the life she leads and tries to steal the money from John, but he catches her and throws the money in her lap. Returning home, he runs into a fight between one of the N.W.M.P. and a gang of timber thieves. He brings the wounded policeman to his father's cabin. When old McDonald sees the uniform he refuses him any assistance and his son cannot understand it. The wounded policeman reaches the headquarters and turns in a report. McGraw, who has charge of the district, gathers his men together and sets out in pursuit of the bandits. Abbie, McGraw's daughter, has grown up with her father in the wilderness. She begs him to take her with him and he consents. McDonald has told his son why he is so bitter against the M.P. It is because his wife eloped with one of them, and the boy learns why he has been kept from the sight of all womankind. Soon afterwards McGraw and his party arrive at the cabin to ask John to guide them to the haunt of the timber thieves. He meets Abbie and there is a mutual attraction between them, and although the father protests against his son's going, the boy is unable to resist the opportunity to be near the girl. They all reach a deserted cabin and the girl is left there, while the others set out to capture the thieves. There is a fierce battle and the leader of the thieves, seeing his men getting the worst of it, takes refuge in flight. He returns to the cabin and finds the girl. He determines to take her with him. But John, who has been watching the cabin, enters and frustrates the bad man's plan. He and the thief have a battle and John proves to be the better man. Flushed with his victory, he claims the girl as his own, won in a man-to-man fight. He is just about to carry her away when Cherry enters the cabin. She is on her way to the city, and feeling gratitude to John for the money he has given her, she tells him of the mistake he is making and he lets the girl go. Old McDonald had followed the officers and comes upon the scene to find McGraw wounded. He has recognized the officer before, but kept the knowledge a secret. McGraw begs for water and McDonald is about to refuse when his better nature prevails and he eases the last moments of his old enemy. McGraw then tells him that his wife has always been faithful and still awaits his return. He also tells of his own wife's death and begs McDonald to care for his girl. The story ends as McDonald leaves to search for his wife. John's guardianship proves acceptable to the girl and together they build bright hopes for the future.

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The Sting of Conscience

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