The Broken Gate (1927)

In the small farming community of Spring Valley young Aurora Lane has caused a scandal by bearing a son by townsman Lucius Henderson who refuses to marry her or even admit that hes the father Shunned as a sinful woman by most of the town she turns over her son Don to be raised by Miss Julia the town librarian who tells the boy that shes his aunt Don grows up and goes to college and when he comes back home the town gossips begin a rumormongering campaign When the town policeman tries to drive Aurora out of town he is found murdered and Don is arrested for the crime