The Betrayal

Martin Eden, a successful black farmer in South Dakota, hires the Stewart family to manage his ranch while he vacations in Chicago. Martin is attracted to Deborah, the Stewarts' daughter, but believes that because she is white, he stands little chance of marrying her. Deborah, however, is actually half black, and has been kept ignorant of her mixed-race descent all her life. Soon after Martin arrives in Chicago, his friends, Hattie and Joe Bowles, suggest that he marry a white woman who will understand his rugged lifestyle. Despite their suggestion, the Bowleses introduce Martin to Eunice, a black cabaret performer, who is definitely not the marrying kind. Martin later reunites with Jessie, a former sweetheart, and meets her friend, Linda Lee. When Martin returns to his ranch and tells Deborah that he intends to marry Linda, Deborah breaks down in tears and confesses that she is in love with him. Martin tries to explain to Deborah the impossibility of a mixed-race marriage, and tells her stories about several doomed mixed marriages to illustrate his point. Linda accepts Martin's marriage proposal, but before they wed, Linda files a land claim to help Martin acquire more land. Though Linda's dishonest father believes that Martin is only interested in Linda for her money, he eventually gives them his blessing. Linda and Martin marry, and Linda later gives birth to a baby boy, whom she names Martin Eden, Jr. One day, while Martin is away on a business trip, Linda is convinced by her father that Martin is planning to kill her for her money. Linda returns to Chicago with her family, who successfully prevent Linda from receiving any letters from Martin. After a year of being estranged from his wife, Martin goes to Chicago and tricks Linda into meeting him at a theater. Martin insists that he has always loved Linda, and Linda agrees to spend the rest of the night with him. When Linda tries to telephone her father to tell him her plans, Martin demands that her whereabouts be kept a secret and pulls out a gun to force Linda into agreement. A struggle ensues, during which a shot is accidentally fired into Martin. Only slightly wounded, Martin returns to his ranch alone and offers Linda's share of the property to Deborah. Deborah later plans a trip to Indiana to visit her family, and tells Martin that she will be stopping in Chicago to visit her grandfather, whom she has never met. Martin is surprised when Deborah tells him her grandfather's address, as his home is located in a black neighborhood. Deborah soon discovers the truth about her parentage, and immediately feels that she is responsible for Martin's ill-fated association with the Lee family. To assuage her guilt, Deborah sets out to find Linda and convince her that Martin had no evil designs upon her or her family. Realizing that she was wrong about Martin and that Deborah would make a better wife than she, Linda asks Deborah to marry Martin and rear their child. Linda then kills her father out of revenge for destroying her marriage. Deborah returns to South Dakota, where she foils a scheme by Duval and Crook, two thieves who planned to grab Linda's parcel of land. After Deborah tells Martin about her parentage, the two embrace and look forward to a happy future together.