"YEAR OF DESTINY"
During the episode, we see Bret Harte’s short story of “M’Liss” acted out while Harte wrote it down. There were four movies made of the story, three in the silent era and the last in 1936. Unfortunately Harte died thirteen years before the first silent film came out.
Here’s the basic story, edited from the summary of the 1918 silent movie version which starred Mary Pickford as M’Liss.
It takes place in the mining town of Red Gulch in the High Sierra. M'Liss is one of the inhabitants whose father "Bummer" lost his fortune in the gold mines. Now his only investment, which pays a dividend, is his chicken Hildegarde. M'Liss regards herself as a crook and robs Yuba Bill's stage coach. Yuba, however, is fascinated by the young lady and does not mind.
M'Liss is the only person in Bummer's life, since his brother Jonathan, a wealthy pioneer, lives in San Francisco. One day, Jonathan turns his face toward the Sunset Trail. Clara Peterson has been his nurse for over three years and her brother Jim finds out they will receive $500 each for their services after his death. He is outraged they will get only that small amount of money.
Charles Gray is the school teacher who wants M'Liss to go to school as well. M'Liss isn't interested in an education. Charles keeps on pursuing her and she finally decides to go. He demands her to mind her manners when she's at school. She talks back to the boards members and is expelled. Charles, however, is charmed by the brave young girl. That same day, Bummer gets stabbed in the back by an unknown person. The sheriff suspects Charles, since he was the last person to visit Bummer.
When M'Liss is informed, she is crushed. She is invited to visit the murderer in jail and is shocked to find out it's Charles. Three weeks later, a murder trial starts. M'Liss is the only one believing in Charles' innocence. [His] wife Clara reaches town to visit him, only to find out he died. M'Liss refuses to believe she is her mother. Finally, Charles is sent to jail for 60 years. M'Liss helps him escape, but the police follow him. M'Liss witnesses them shooting Charles, but does not know they went after the wrong guy and actually shot Jim. Jim and Mexican Joe, the help of the sheriff, admit they killed Bummer for his will. The fortune is now sent to M'Liss and a hidden Charles is set free and reunites with M'Liss.
The dramatization in that ‘Death Valley Days’ episode was heavily edited and altered.
Happy Trails!
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