Plot

Colonel Jackson, newspaper owner and politician, considers Vera, his beautiful young daughter, the apple of his eye. Paul Robertson, newly elected to the legislature, is in love with Vera. George Prentiss, a grafting political "boss," is instrumental in causing Robertson's election, because he believes that he can handle Robertson. The politicians scheme to reclaim Empress Valley by diverting water from the Folsom tract and demand that Robertson support this reclamation measure. Robertson, however, refuses, claiming that the Empress Valley bill would ruin the farmers of Folsom. Prentiss tells his henchmen that they must force Robertson into submission. They induce Fanny Stokes, who lives by her wits, to aid them in their attempt to compromise Robertson. They arrange to make it appear that Robertson has met the woman in a hotel, and they summon some reporters to be there at a certain hour. Prentiss, Colonel Jackson and the reporters appear in the hotel and call Robertson. He appears and with him is Vera, the Colonel's daughter. They tell the callers, "We were secretly married this morning," and thus it is that Jackson and Prentiss find that their scheme has been circumvented.—Moving Picture World synopsis