M'liss

1
Perched like an eagle's 
nest in the High Sierras,
far from the pulse of com-
merce, is the mining town 
of Red Gulch.

2
    MARY PICKFORD
         as
       M'LISS
(Which, in the lingo of
  Red Gulch, means -
   "Limb of Satan").

3
"Bummer" Smith, the father
of M'liss, lost his fortune
in the gold mines. Now
his only investment which
pays a dividend is - Hilde-
garde, the hen!

	Theodore Roberts.

4
Judge Joshua McSnaggley,
---- an exponent of the
"statoots". A gentleman, a
scholar - and a prohibi-
tionist!    Tully Marshall.

5
Sandy Waddle,
     the sheriff - and
Mexican Joe, his deputy.
	William Brown.
	Monte Blue.	

6
"- I got him!"

7
Yuba Bill, the driver of 
 the Slum Gullion Stage.
	Charles Ogle.

8
Charles Gray, the new
schoolmaster, on his
way to Red Gulch.
	Thomas Meighan.

9
A tense, dramatic moment
 to a notorious outlaw
..... the stage coach ap-
proaches!

10
 "What you brung me
.... Yuba Bill?"

11
 "Hands up, stranger -
or I'll pump you full of
rocks!"

12
 "Drive on - like hell
bent fer election!"

13
There's one advantage 
to the D. T.'s ..... You
carry your own Zoo!"

14
 "Howdy! Will yer lady
friend have a drink?"

15
 "Think you'll have a purty
nice cabin here - after you
weeds out the rattle-snakes.
Last feller lived here -
died of 'em."

16
 "If I asks you if the jack
rabbit that just passed us
- wore a green hat with
yellow tassels - you wouldn't
sass the old man, would
you, Melissie?"

17
 "This licker ain't got no 
more kick 'n a dead
mule!"

18
In San Francisco, 'Bummer'
Smith's brother, Jonathan,
a wealthy pioneer, turns
his face toward the Sunset 
Trail.

19
Clara Peterson, for three
 years Jonathan Smith's 
nurse.
	Winnifred Greenwood.

20
Her brother, Jim Peterson,
 hopes to find in his
employer's will, a reward
for their services.
		Val Paul.

21
 "The old skinflint! Only
a thousand for us - and
leaving all that money to
a brother he hasn't seen
for fifteen years."

22 [title includes animated musical notes and chicken]
Rock-a-bye ba-by -

23
 "M'liss! Shut up that
squawkin' - you're dis-
turbin' Hildegarde."

24
"Larnin'" now becomes
 a pleasant pastime to
the "gals" of Red Gulch.

25
 "I been goin' to this here 
school for over ten years
- an' no teacher ever 
licked ME!"

26
 "Why don't you come
to my school, M'liss?"

27
 "I seen what you done
to Bub - that's enough!"

28
Crocodile tears -
for the passing of 
Jonathan Smith.

29
 "Beddie, beddie, 'Bummer'
dear .... an' durned quick!"

30
 "I d-don't w-wanta go
to b-bed."

31
Parson Bean (from
 Boston) - converts
a sinner.
	John Burton.

32
 "I hear you're the 'bad
man' around here, Mexican
Joe - and I'm not looking 
for trouble."

33
 "What's the matter, School-
marm - fidgety?"

34
 "If you boys don't stop 
this arguin' - I'm goin' 
to git mad in a minute!"

35
 "Mex - now go home
and tell your mama that
your schoolmarm spanked 
you!"

36
 "I hear Hildegarde
knocking at the door."

37
 "You'll be layin' bad eggs
..... galavantin' around 'til
this hour of night!"

38
According to the local his-
 torians - nothing hap-
pened of interest for the
next few days, until .......

39
 "Boy's - there's trouble 
brewin'! Smith's wild-cat
ain't become a kitten - 
fer nothin'!"

40
 "What you got there,
Melissie?"

41
 "None of your -*-!
- ??? - !!! business!!!"

42
 "Accordin' to the 'statoots'
- Yuba - we've a right to
arrest M'liss."

43
 "An I'll lick the first feller
who attempts it! That's the
particular kind of a darned 
fool I am!"

44
A Solemncholy
   Moment.

45
 "'Twarn't her face 
that broke this after-
noon, Yuba."

46
"'Twere my heart!"

47
 "- it's the only chance 
I ever had to be a grand-
father."

48
How seriously M'liss
 was affected by this
tragedy we are about
to prove ---

49
 "I come to be
teached."

50
 "If you come here you
must be a good girl. They
tell me you swear worse 
than your poor, drunken 
father -"

51
 "It's a damn lie! I don't
swear! An' he ain't a drunk-
ard - he's haunted!"

52
 "Where in blazes did 
Missy Pug Nose git them 
feathers on her hat?"

53
And now - there hap-
 pens - a miracle!

54
And the "villun" still
  pursued her!

55
 "M'liss, these be strange 
doin's ... I'm skeered you've
been a-drinkin'!"

56
 "I don't keer - fashions is
fashions! Anyways she's
moltin'!"

57
The end of a 
perfect tale.

58
 "Hello, Dominguez! When
did you leave 'Frisco' for
this part of the country?"

59
 "I'm known as Mexican 
Joe - here! And what's
more - you never knew
me in 'Frisco' - sabe?"

60
 "There's 'Bummer' Smith
- the man you're lookin'
for."

61
 "Teacher! What do 
you do with these 
little fellers?"

62
Once a year, the School
Board meets to see how
the children are worrying
through their "ejjication".

63
 "M'liss - who was
the first man?"

64
 "Washington - Jedge.
First in war, first in -"

65
"Wrong!... 'Twere Adam."

66
 "Oh, of course -
if you're speakin' of
foreigners!"

67
 "Children, what air
grammar?"

68
 "I'm feared, Jedge - it's
somethin' that you knows
nothin' about."

69
 "You were impudent, 
M'liss. And you cannot
remain for the rest of
the exercises."

70
 "- so, children, when 
Joshua commanded the 
sun to stand still - it
obeyed him!"

71
 "It's a damn lie! And
I don't believe it!"

72
While the "Infernal Femin-
 ine" is on her way to
the Schoolmaster's cabin 
with a Peace offering --

73
 "M'liss is backward in
her lessons, but I'm com-
ing up here in the even-
ings to help her."

74
 "'Bummer' - who was 
with you last?"

75
"- the schoolmaster."

76
 "Poor old 'Bummer'
has been stabbed in 
the back."

77
 "Which is correct -
brung or brang?"

78
"Why - bring."

79
 "All right - I bringed
you a present!"

80
 "- also to ask if you 
was goin' to marry that
Missy Pug Nose?"

81
 "Very well, then - I'll
marry you myself!"

82
 "Now that you have made 
up our minds - when is
the wedding?"

83
 "When I'm growed up
- an' that's -"

84
"- pretty soon!"

85
 "You must listen to 
me, M'liss."

86
 "- I've got some 
awful bad news."

87
 "What's the matter, 
Yuba ... did your wife
come back?"

88
 "They've got the feller 
that killed your old man.
Come on an' see him."

89
Three weeks later. A
murder trial - "far
and squar" - according 
to the "statoots".

90
Being a man of city "re-
finements" - Peterson is
made foreman of the Jury.

91
 "'Bummer's' last
words were .... 'the 
schoolmaster'!"

92
 "Parson! You're a 
darned fool!"

93
 "M'liss - you're 
no lady!"

94
 "All I wants to know is 
- what was M'lissa doin' 
in the schoolmaster's cabin?"

95
 "Suppose you blowed 
my head off! Then how
was I to git through 
with this here trial?"

96
 "Time to wash up fer 
dinner, folks. Court
adjourns."

97
 "All the principal wit-
nesses kin jine me at 
the bar."

98
The plot curdles - with 
the arrival of another 
stranger.

99
 "Can you tell me where 
Mr. John Benson Smith
lives?"

100
 "Maybe she means
'Bummer' Smith."

101
 "I have come from San 
Francisco to find him. I
- am his wife."

102
 "You mean, Ma'am, that 
you are his widder. Mr.
John 'Bummer' Smith has
- er - er - lately kicked
the bucket."

103
 "Tell the folks, ma'am,
all that you've told me."

104
 "... my husband and I
quarreled - he left, taking
our baby with him. And
I have just been able to
trace him."

105
 "... you can picture
the grief of a poor de-
serted wife - and mother."

106
"She's a liar!"

107
 "My mother died before 
I was born!"

108
 "Accordin' to the 
'statoots' - t'aint
possible!"

109
 "He's innocent, Jedge
- ain't you got no
sense?"

110
 "No! Accordin' to the 
'statoots', I don't have
to have none!"

111
 "Don't you know your 
own mother, dear?"

112
 "No thanks! An' I
don't want to be
interdooced!"

113
 "This Court needs 
a recess."

114
The gentle jury
 ponders.

115
 "- murdered in cold 
blood, a poor defense-
less old man!"

116
 "Somethin's crooked, 
M'liss, or Peterson wouldn't 
be so agin' the school-
master!"

117
When life hangs 
  by a thread.

118
"- Guilty!"

119
 "It's agin' the 'statoots'
.... but I'm only goin' to
sentence Gray to sixty
years in the Slum Gullion 
jail."

120
 "This old marriage license
found among 'Bummer'
Smith's papers, and the 
death certificate signed by 
Judge McSnaggley, will help
to establish your claim!"

121
 "We cannot be seen 
leaving together. I will 
follow in a few days."

122
The miners, incited by
 Mexican Joe, resent
Judge McSnaggley's
MILD decision!

123
 "- a man ain't tryin' to
fasten a crime on another
- unless it's to hide his 
own dirty tracks!"

124
 "- AN' I'M GOIN' TO RUN 
THAT MURDERER DOWN! ....
That's the particular kind 
of a darned fool I am!"

125
 "They're goin' to lynch 
him, Sheriff. You ain't
goin' to let an innocent
man die in a rat trap?"

126
 "Law is law! I daren't
let him escape."

127
"Peterson!"

128
 "You skunk! You've
squealed ...."

129
 "You can't hang Bummer
Smith's death on me. You
paid me to do it!"

130
 "I left the horse on 
the grade. I couldn't 
go away without saying 
goodbye."

131
 "Say, Sheriff! How 
about a little ......
necktie party?"

132
 "No Siree. I represent
the law. No lynchin'!"

133
 "They got 'em - the
murderers confessed they
done it to git a fortune
that belongs to Melissie."

134
 "Yuba Bill, you're 
just one of them -
angels!"

135
 "Yep, that's the partic-
ular kind of a darned 
fool - I am!"

136
 "This ought to be 
a lesson to you two 
fellers."

The End