The Secret Game (1917) Plot Summary Explained

Kitty Little is a German spy operating under the direction of Dr. Ebell Smith. Her mission is to uncover the sailing dates of American transport ships, which would allow German forces to plan attacks on troop transports. She was recruited by Major John Northfield himself, though he later grows suspicious of her true loyalties.

• kitty little
• german spy
• espionage
• dr ebbell smith
• transport ships

Nara-Nara, the Japanese detective sent because his nation guarantees ship safety, suspects Northfield because the leak originates from Northfield's quartermaster office. Though Kitty works as a German spy within that office, Nara-Nara's investigation leads him to believe the American major is responsible for the security breach rather than his own secretary.

Foreshadowing: Early in the film, Nara-Nara is established as tracking German spies while also doubting Northfield's integrity.

• nara-nara
• major northfield
• suspicion
• japanese spy
• investigation

Northfield devises a test because he loves Kitty but suspects she may be the leak. He gives her a blank letter and tells her it contains the transport sailing dates, then asks her to mail it. If she delivers it to Smith's spy network, it confirms her betrayal; if she refuses, it proves her loyalty to him.

Foreshadowing: Northfield's suspicion of Kitty has been building since her introduction as someone working in his office.

• northfield
• kitty little
• blank letter
• loyalty test
• transport dates

Kitty is caught between her personal feelings and her loyalty to the German spy operation. Though she has romantic feelings for Northfield, she remains committed to her role as a German spy under Smith. Taking the letter to Smith maintains her cover and fulfills her obligation to the German intelligence network.

Foreshadowing: Kitty's dual role as both Northfield's secretary and Smith's operative creates this internal conflict.

• kitty little
• dr ebbell smith
• german spy
• betrayal
• loyalty

Nara-Nara follows Kitty to Smith's office and confronts them both. During the struggle, Nara-Nara kills Smith, removing the German spymaster and shifting the balance of power in the espionage game. Smith's death eliminates the mastermind behind the transport ship leak plot.

Foreshadowing: Nara-Nara's pursuit of German spies has been relentless throughout the film.

• nara-nara
• dr ebbell smith
• death
• confrontation
• german spy

After killing Smith, Nara-Nara attempts to abduct Kitty because he has fallen in love with her despite being on opposing sides of the espionage conflict. He wants her to abandon her allegiances and flee with him, though his motives remain a mix of romantic attraction and strategic removal of a rival operative.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early on that Nara-Nara is drawn to Kitty while pursuing the spy case.

• nara-nara
• kitty little
• abduction
• love
• romantic interest

Kitty resists Nara-Nara's attempt to force her away by appealing to his code of honor. She recalls his vow to keep his sword clean, invoking his personal honor system. This appeal tempers his resolve and causes him to retreat, choosing to continue his mission elsewhere rather than force her compliance.

• nara-nara
• vow
• sword
• honor code
• kitty little

After Nara-Nara kills Smith and attempts to abduct Kitty, he is felled by one of Smith's own accomplices. As Kitty approaches Smith's body, one of the German spy's associates shoots Nara-Nara, ending his pursuit. This another twist that removes the Japanese detective from the conflict.

Foreshadowing: The danger surrounding Smith's operation has been building throughout the espionage narrative.

• nara-nara
• death
• shot
• smith's accomplice
• german spy

Kitty receives a letter from her brother, who is serving in the German trenches. The letter states he is to be shot for shielding women and children. This grim news crystallizes Kitty's sense of duty and identity, shifting her allegiances deeper toward the American side and away from her German spy past.

• kitty's brother
• german trenches
• letter
• loyalty shift
• american identity

Kitty's transformation is driven by multiple factors: Northfield's love for her despite her suspected betrayal, the deaths of Smith and Nara-Nara that end her spy network, and most importantly, the letter about her brother facing execution in German trenches. These events collectively push her toward embracing an American identity.

Foreshadowing: The brother's letter serves as the turning point that changes her outlook completely.

• kitty little
• transformation
• american loyalty
• redemption
• northfield

After the danger passes and her loyalties shift, Kitty accepts Northfield's engagement because she has genuinely fallen in love with him and now shares his values. Her transformation from German spy to American is complete, and she embraces a future with Northfield as his fiancée, marking her full commitment to the American cause.

• kitty little
• northfield
• engagement
• american identity
• resolution