Dust Be My Destiny

Joe Bell is jailed for 16 months for a burglary he did not commit, which leaves him embittered and distrustful of the justice system. This experience sets a tone of hardship and injustice that influences his subsequent actions. His time in prison shapes his outlook and leads to further trouble in his life.

While riding in a boxcar with two brothers, Joe gets into a fight with an uncredited robber. The altercation results in Joe being sentenced to 90 days at a work farm, indicating a continuation of his troubled life on the run. This event marks his transition from solitary hardship to a community setting.

At the work farm, Joe befriends Mabel Alden, which displeases the foreman Charles Garreth who is also her stepfather. Their friendship blossoms into a romantic relationship, leading to a fight between Joe and Garreth. These events highlight the emergence of personal bonds amid his criminal background.

After a fight results in Garreth's unconsciousness, Joe and Mabel panic and flee the work farm. Later, they learn that Garreth has died, and Joe is wanted for his murder. To escape legal repercussions, they marry impulsively and go on the run, illustrating their desperate attempt to avoid justice.

Joe and Mabel enter a stage show marriage, believing they have a chance at a new life with a furnished house, but soon learn about the manhunt for Joe through the radio. Fearing capture, they leave the theater quickly, continuing their pattern of fleeing from law enforcement.

The couple finds work at Nick's restaurant thanks to Nick, who shows them pity and gives them jobs. They believe they are settling down, but the police, who frequent the restaurant, grow suspicious of their true identities. This marks a period of temporary stability amid ongoing danger.

Joe manages to escape from the police with Nick's help, staging a jailbreak for Mabel. However, she is eventually arrested. Their continuous struggle to stay free highlights the relentless nature of their fugitives' life on the run.

Joe becomes a witness to a bank robbery, taking photographs of the criminals in progress. His quick thinking provides evidence that helps him land a job as a photographer at a local newspaper, giving him a temporary respite and a new sense of purpose.

When the bank robbers attempt to recover the negatives, Joe heroically saves Mike Leonard's life during a confrontation. Unfortunately, his photographs are published, exposing his identity and making him a public target once again.

Mabel, convinced that running is wrong, decides to turn Joe in to the police. Her decision leads to his arrest, exemplifying the conflict between loyalty and conscience that underpins the story's emotional core.

At Joe's trial, various character witnesses speak in his favor, but the prosecutor presents strong evidence against him. Despite this, Mabel testifies, ultimately convincing the jury of Joe's innocence in a heartfelt plea.