Ella wants to elope with a real man. Dick loves Ella ardently, but she can't "see" him at all. This perplexing state of affairs continues until mother begins to worry about Ella's lagging interest in her studies and consults her attorney. He suggests that he will be the goat - he will make love to Ella, elope with her, and then desert her. The cure will be sure and lasting. Mother, somewhat dubious, agrees to the plan. At last Ella's romance begins. She succumbs to her elderly suitor's whirlwind wooing and elopes with him, pursued by Dick. Arrived at their destination, Ella is left in her room all alone while her elderly lover is hustled off to jail by the younger one. He, however, had telephoned to mother to come and get her deserted child. In the morning Ella discovers that she has been deserted and when mother arrives on the scene she finds that her accomplice is lodged in jail. Together they go to get him released, and while mother is explaining the court just how it all happened Ella and Dick decide to elope in earnest. - Moving Picture World, February 19, 1916
And
“Ella wants romance — romance with a capital “R”— and there’s always an elopement in those nice love stories, you know. So Ella wants to elope, but with a real man — capital “M.” Dick, her schoolmate, loves Ella ardently, but he’s just ordinary. This perplexing state of affairs continues until Mother begins to worry about Ella’s lagging interest in her studies, and consults her Attorney. He suggests that he will be the goat — he will make love to Ella, elope with her, and then desert her. The cure will be sure and lasting. Mother, somewhat dubiously, agrees to the plan. At last Ella’s romance begins. She succumbs to her elderly suitor’s whirlwind wooing, and elopes with him, jealously pursued by Dick. Arrived at their destination, Ella is left in her room all alone while her elderly lover is hustled off to jail by the younger one. He, however, had telephoned to Mother to come and get her deserted child. In the morning, Ella discovers that she has been deserted, and when Mother arrives on the scene she finds that her accomplice is lodged in jail. Together they go to get him released, and while Mother is explaining the Court just how it all happened, Ella and Dick decide to elope in earnest, and from the tail end of the disappearing train they cheerfully wave goodbye.” - Reel Life, February 12, 1916, pg 8
From Tim Lyon's The Silent Partner:
"Amongst its 76 shots, title cards represented Ella’s diary, this quote shows what one of these cards said:
“If pas and mas and other so fussy wouldn’t be, how pleasanter and cheerfuller this world would be for me!
At sweet sixteen, faint heart doth seem an ailment most annoying, but boyish pleas the fair to tease are not for her enjoying.”
Comments of the film suggesting that it should only be viewed by a mature audience due to its subject matter:
“No matter how amusing this picture might be to the mature mind, it could not be recommended for a program to be presented before young people. Ella, filled with the romantic idea of eloping with a real man. is easily persuaded to run away with her mother's lawyer, who has previously conspired with the girl's mother in order to cure her of this foolish idea.”
- The Moving Picture World, February 19th, 1916, pg 1151
Neva Gerber “who recently left the ‘Beauty’ brand of the American Film Company to become featured star of the El Dorado releases, has risen rapidly during the past year.”
- Picture-Play Magazine (Mar-Aug 1916)