Her Greatest Story

Mazie King is "sob sister" on one of the large daily papers and because of domestic troubles at home her stories have lost their "punch." She is called "upon the carpet" by Wharton, the managing editor, and told that there must be some improvement in her stories. Tilton, the city editor, hears their talk and tries to comfort the girl. Mazie's home life is not happy. Her husband, Con, is a gambler and dope fiend, and has no consideration whatever for his wife. In order to gain money for his ventures, he does not hesitate to threaten harm to their child, a boy of three, unless he is furnished funds. Mazie has often given up her carfare in order to keep the child from harm. Things reach a climax one Saturday when Mazie receives a notice that her services will not be needed after the end of the next week. She tries to keep the knowledge of her disappointment from the office force, but Tilton surmises the trouble and in his friendly way proves of comfort to the girl. There is little consolation for Mazie at home. Instead she is threatened and even roughly handled by her husband, when she refuses to give him money. The husband has his revenge later by taking their child to a low saloon and leaving word for his wife to bring him some money if she wants to see the child. Mazie unwillingly borrows the money from Tilton and rescues the child from the low dive. Con has a gay time on the money and his spree ends up in a fight in which he is mortally wounded. The managing editor learns of the killing and assigns Mazie to the case, telling her to get something out of it. Mazie recognizes the body as her husband and is shown a note he left begging his wife for forgiveness. She leaves without revealing her identity. That evening Mazie writes the real story of her life and closes with the episode of her husband's death. The story makes a hit with the editor and he holds the presses to get the story in for the Sunday edition. He remarks to the boys that the story reads like truth. Later Mazie eating a much-needed lunch in a restaurant, is joined by Tilton. He notices the bruise on her arm and then she tells him the story was real and the dead man was her husband. Wharton sees the two and joins them, telling Mazie to be sure and report as usual the next week. Tilton cheers the unhappy girl and suggests that they had better see how Benny is getting along. The two leave and Mazie accepts the kind attention offered by her friend, and there is reason to believe she will depend more and more upon him in the future. - IMDb