Joyce of the North Woods

John Dale sacrificed his good name, his liberty and the girl he loved to save his younger brother Philip from disgrace. Philip, not man enough to refuse the noble sacrifice, married Ruth Cranston the girl his brother had loved, and became a wealthy and respectable citizen during the five years John was in state prison. John released from jail, assumed the name of Gaston and plunging into the Maine woods began his life anew. With illusions, faith, love, everything, shattered and ruined, the friendship which he formed with Joyce Birkdale was far removed from anything approaching the sentimental. His feeling for her was rather that of a father than a lover. He worshiped her glowing youth and innocence with the same abstraction of motive with which he worshiped the spring winds or the rising sun. To Jude Lazoon, Joyce's accepted suitor, however, the Platonic nature of Gaston's attitude was by no means apparent. He fiercely resented Gaston's familiarity with his affianced bride, and bitterly upbraided Joyce for allowing it. After their marriage the situation did not improve. Gaston, accompanying Jude to his home one day, grew a little too warm in his sympathy for Joyce while the husband supposedly slept. Jade waited until Gaston left and then fiercely charged his wife with infidelity, and striking her across the face, drove her from his door. Joyce fled to Gaston for protection, while Jude attempted to arouse the resentment of the woodsmen against the man he claimed had ruined his home. Realizing that his affection had changed to love, Gaston left Joyce and plunged into the woods. Gaston's old sweetheart, Ruth, widowed by Philip Dale's death, coming into the woods with her aunt and brother, met Joyce. Joyce, recognizing her place in Gaston's life from a photograph she had found, and thinking that Gaston must still love Ruth, prepared to leave them together. At this point she received a letter telling her that Gaston was seriously hurt, actually a trick on the part of Jude to lure her into the woods. Jude's stratagem was foiled by the death of its instigator, and the widowed Joyce, meeting Gaston in the woods, learned that she was the only girl he had ever really loved. This was splendid news to Jock Filmer, Gaston's friend, who adored Roth, and things ended in a very satisfactory manner for everybody concerned.