The Secret Fury

During Ellen Ewing's wedding at a seaside chapel in Fairview, an intruder bursts in and accuses her of having wed another man months earlier. The shock ripples through the guests as a registrar's record becomes the key lead. The moment sets off a desperate attempt to prove Ellen's innocence.

A call is made by the Ewing family's lawyer Gregory Kent and district attorney Eric Lowell. A record of Ellen's vows is found, suggesting a past marriage she does not remember. The couple and their allies start pursuing the truth.

Kent and Lowell track down the justice of the peace who signed Ellen's papers. He recognizes her as the woman he married, and his wife and housekeeper corroborate this odd tale. The couple begins to doubt Ellen's grip on reality.

A hotel maid claims to recall Ellen from the wedding day and even has a pin Ellen supposedly gifted her, tied to Ellen's mother. The evidence seems to support the possibility of a real, staged wedding hoax. Kent and Lowell grow increasingly unsettled.

The investigation leads to Lucian Randall, who taunts Ellen in a back room. A gunshot rings out and Randall dies. Ellen is instantly accused of murder, while her former suitor prosecutes the case to avoid conflict of interest.

Ellen endures a grueling trial and a relentless cross-examination that pushes her toward a breakdown. Kent shifts strategy, changing his plea from not guilty to insanity, and Ellen is committed to an asylum. The nightmare of the charges grips her completely.

Supportive and steadfast, David travels to the Ewing retreat in Fairfield hoping to find evidence that can restore Ellen's credibility. Aunt Clara and others join the effort, convinced of Ellen's innocence. The search broadens the possible clues.

David discovers a seashell among Ellen's belongings, something she claimed would prove her whereabouts. This find rekindles hope that a tangible link to the alleged wedding day exists. He resolves to keep digging.

A second clue emerges when David locates a dory with a distinctive name Ellen had seen. The vessel ties her supposed alibi to a real, traceable object. The chase for the hoax's mastermind gains momentum.

A postman explains that no such justice of the peace has ever lived in the suspect's home, fueling suspicions of a staged identity. Armed with this discrepancy, David and Kent press on with the case. The truth behind the hoax begins to surface.

Back at the maid's apartment, she is garroted by an unseen assailant as the killer tries to silence her. David arrives too late to rescue her, and the news reveals another link in the hoax. The tension around Ellen's fate reaches a fever pitch.

The intruder reveals he was paid to orchestrate the hoax and the maid's murder, but refuses to name the mastermind. A struggle ends with the killer leaping from David's car and dying, leaving Ellen's fate still unsettled. The pieces begin to point to a human mastermind.

David returns with news that Ellen has been cleared, but Ellen suddenly recoils from reality and flees. The emotional rollercoaster underscores how fragile her hold on the truth remains. The core of the mystery seems to be unraveling.

Aunt Clara, along with David, Kent, and Lowell, decides Ellen should go back to live with Aunt Clara for stability. Ellen's demeanor appears normal as they reach a tentative resolution, yet danger still lingers.

Back at Aunt Clara's house, Ellen hides in Aunt Clara's room while Kent remains dangerous and tries to coerce her into shooting him. Kent reveals his motive: revenge on Ellen's father, the judge, for a past injustice. He tries to force Ellen to shoot him, but she resists. David arrives and they struggle; Kent is crushed by a falling mirror, and Ellen and David embrace as the nightmare ends, freeing them to wed.