Public Wedding

Pop Lane and his partners hatch a scheme to stage a public wedding as a con to steal the gate receipts. They plan Flip as the bride, Nick as the groom, and The Deacon as the judge, knowing the audience will pay for the spectacle. The plan hinges on the ceremony appearing legitimate long enough to cash in, though no one expects it to succeed as a real marriage.

The wedding proceeds with Tony Burke stepping in as stand-in groom. To everyone's astonishment, the judge is a real justice of the peace, and Flip and Tony are actually married. The success of the ruse collapses into a real union that neither party anticipated.

Pop, now penniless, must face the consequences of their unintended nuptials. Tony, while attracted to Flip, insists on taking a governing role in their enterprise if they stay together. They retreat to Tony's studio above a stable to discuss the future and whether love can survive the con's shadow.

Next morning, Pop and Joe begin pawning Flip's wedding dress but fail to secure a loan. Instead they rescue Tessie Schultz from a police raid and press her for help. The encounter drags Tessie deeper into the scheme, foreshadowing her later transformation into a key player.

To capitalize on Tessie's rescue, Joe pitches Tessie as the amnesiac bride 'Lillith Love' who supposedly attempted suicide after being left at the altar. The ruse aims to turn Tessie into a sensational act that will lure in paying audiences. The plan starts to intertwine Tessie's fame with Flip and Tony's marriage.

Flip attempts to sell Tony's paintings, but his lack of reputation makes sales slow. The publicity around Tessie's stunts brings media attention to their world, yet it does not translate into real profits. The group grows anxious as profits stay out of reach.

Tony learns of Flip's manipulations and is furious, but their love endures. He agrees to try the marriage if Flip yields control and lets him be the boss, signaling a reshaping of their partnership. They recommit to making their union work despite the con's fallout.

Tony unveils a plan to endow a traveling fellowship to Europe for young artists, attempting to redeem his image. He offers Pop and the others a check for $1,000 to get out of town, urging them to disappear from the scene. The money is framed as philanthropic, masking the dawn of a more legitimate ambition.

Pop and Joe turn Tony's check into a fundraising prop, dubbing it the 'Anthony Burke Traveling Fellowship.' The stunt generates donations from New York society, but the fake funds are suddenly withdrawn in cash. Flip senses that the scheme is collapsing as the money vanishes.

Tony is arrested for obtaining money under false pretenses, and Flip races after Pop, Joe, and Tessie toward the airport. The chase heightens the stakes as law enforcement closes in on their supposed enterprise. The quartet fights to avoid a full-blown indictment.

Flip discovers the serial numbers on the cash are consecutive, proving the money is tainted. She pressures the others to surrender the funds to avoid immediate arrest. The tension peaks as she tries to salvage something legitimate from the wreckage.

Before they can board their flight, they are nabbed by the victim of an earlier scheme, bringing their escape to a halt. The arrest ends the immediate flight to Europe and exposes the full extent of their con.

Flip deposits the money into an irrevocable trust dedicated to its real purpose, determined to set things right. She shows the police the deposit slip, which helps secure Tony's release. The act marks a moral pivot away from their criminal past.

Tessie visits Pop in jail with the 'wonderful romantic news' that Flip and Tony have sailed to Europe for their honeymoon. The couple leaves the turmoil behind to pursue art and love in Europe, suggesting a hopeful new chapter beyond cons and scams.