The Lords of High Decision

Colonel Roger Craighill, a Pittsburgh millionaire, is seen presiding at a meeting in the directors' room of the Hercules Bank. He tells them that he intends to crush Gregory, an independent coal operator. He decides to use his accomplice, Walsh, for this purpose. In the next scene we see Gregory and his granddaughter, Jean. Gregory's mines have remained idle as the syndicate has refused him transportation to tidewater, and he has been rendered poor as the result of this oppression. Jean, who is an artist, earns a little money by the sale of her pictures for the upkeep of her family. Craighill's son, Wayne, while attending a football game, sees that Joe Denny, the son of an old miner of his home town, has been injured and goes to his assistance. He meets Adelaide Churchill and her mother. Wayne is very much taken with Adelaide, but when he sees her in a loving attitude with a student of his college at the last football game he decides to forget her. After his graduation, Craghill places Wayne in charge of Walsh, who takes him to the town where Gregory's plant is located. There he meets Jean. Gregory asks Wayne to use his influence with the Pittsburgh syndicate to have his coal mine put in operation. When he learns that he has been talking to the son of the man who had ruined him he is about to attack Wayne when Jean intercedes. We next see Jean in her cottage brooding over her grandfather's losses. She decides to take more active measures to assist him, and goes to the city to sell some of her pictures at an art store, where she happens to meet Wayne, who had gone to the city to plead with his father to cease throttling his competitors. He is unsuccessful, however. Wayne gives Joe Denny a job as his chauffeur. The scene shifts to the college town where Craighill is addressing a Chautauqua audience on the evils of the working classes. After the lecture, Addie and her mother are introduced to Craighill and he appears very much impressed with Addie. In the city Joe recognizes Jean while he is waiting in his capacity of chauffeur, before the Craighill office for Wayne to come out. Wayne invites Jean to enter the car, and Jean motors them to her home. Joe shows his suspicion as he observes Wayne's attitude toward Jean. Meanwhile, after a rapid courtship, Craighill and Adelaide are married. Brooks, a tool of Walsh, incites the men at the mills to strike and desert the furnaces at midnight, while Craighill is out of town. Wayne hears of the strike and rushes to th