The Silver Lining

Patrick Aherne - Thomas Hurst
Marie Ault - Mrs. Hurst
Eve Gray - Letty Dean
John F. Hamilton - John Hurst

Filmed on location in rural England, The Silver Lining concentrates on the two sons of the widow Hurst (Marie Ault). In true ant-and-grasshopper fashion, Thomas Hurst (Patrick Ahearne) is industrious, while his brother John (John Hamilton) is lazy. Upset that Thomas is about to marry the girl of his dreams, John steals the girl's valuable string of pearls and sells them to a gypsy. He then arranges for Thomas to be accused of the crime. Rather than break his mother's heart and reveal his brother as a cad and a liar, Thomas stoically marches off to jail. Upon his release, John suffers an attack of remorse and confesses all to his mother. Realizing that he can never truly atone for his misdeeds so long as he is alive, John goads his gypsy cohort into shooting him, he tearfully writes a confession as he breathes his last breath.
© Hal Erickson