Bashful Charley's Proposal

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The widow lives in a houseboat near one of the beaches. Charley is her devoted lover, but his bashfulness prevents him from proposing. She has a daughter, Lilly, who is visiting in a nearby town. She accepts Heinie subject to her mother's approval. The mother cannot see it and wires her daughter that she cannot marry the young man unless he shows her $5,000. She orders the girl home. Heinie says that he has a brother living near the widow's houseboat and that he will accompany Lilly home so as to be on the ground. Heinie and Charley are very much alike, in fact, the only difference between the brothers is in the way in which they wear their mustaches. Charley tells of his difficulty in proposing to the widow and Heinie offers to propose for him for $5,000. Charley accepts and Henie clips his mustache to correspond with Charley's. Rev. Mr. Fish has decided to go fishing and takes his Bible along to keep him company. He stops near the houseboat and casts his line. Heinie arrives at the houseboat and is greeted fondly by the widow, who believes him to be Charley. Heinie starts his proposal, but before he gets halfway through the widow accepts and embraces him. This is too much for Heinie, but the widow, seeing the minister nearby, calls him to the boat to marry them at once. This does not suit Heinie at all, and he takes refuge in flight. Running to the upper deck, he discovers Lilly. She, does not recognize him at first, but he explains and they embrace. The preacher and the widow search for the missing bridegroom. He is discovered in the arms of Lilly. The widow tries to make him marry her, and Heinie again flies. He persuades Lilly to elope with him, and arriving at the mainland, they search for a justice to perform the ceremony. The widow grabs the minister and takes him to land also, expecting to catch the fleeing bridegroom and make him marry her. Heinie and Lilly find a justice and the ceremony is started. The widow and the minister, seeing them from the distance, make a short cut and run into Charley. The widow still believes that it is Charley who has caused her anguish and insists that he marry her. This just suits Charley. Heinie and Lilly return to the house of Charley, but find that Charley and the widow have followed suit. Heinie demands the $5,000, which Charley pays.