Circle 17

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Professor Bartoli has incurred the enmity of a secret Italian society. With his daughter he flees to America. As they start to board the steamer, an agent of the society attacks Bartoli and would have stabbed him, but for the timely interference of Capt. Rawdon, U.S.A. A year passes. Bartoli has established himself as a music teacher in New York, while Anita has a flower stand on the street. Capt. Rawdon, coming home on furlough to visit his mother and sisters, stops at the flower stand to buy some carnations. He recognizes in Anita the girl whose father he saved in Italy. The girl's gratitude, for she too remembers the incident, pleases the stalwart officer. She gives him one of her father's cards and Rawdon promises to see her again. Reaching his home, Rawdon is welcomed by his family. His mother deciding to give a musicale in honor of his homecoming, he shows Bartoli's card with the suggestion that the Italian supply the music. The mother agrees, writes a note, to which Rawdon adds a postscript inviting Anita to attend the musicale. Bartoli receives the note and writes directions to his daughter to follow him to the Rawdons'. He goes out and the Italian agent of Giuseppi Draga, leader of Circle 17, enters and changes the address on Bartoli's note. In this manner Anita is taken by the society. Bartoli worries that she does not appear at Rawdon's and the Captain at last suggests that they go in search of her. After some time they trace her to a dirty dive and after a hard fight kill the villain and rescue the dark-eyed heroine.