Gebroken levens

Summary

Arie van Galen, after a career as non-commissioned officer in the army in the Dutch East Indies, is now the doorkeeper at an insurance-bank run by De Nessel. De Nessel's son Max is in love with Arie's

Arie van Galen, after a career as non-commissioned officer in the army in the Dutch East Indies, is now the doorkeeper at an insurance-bank run by De Nessel. De Nessel's son Max is in love with Arie's daughter Leida and gives her many presents, even a piano. At a given moment, Arie, who suspects that the young man's intentions are not entirely honourable, angrily chases Max out of the house. Some minutes later a shot rings out and Max de Nessel is found dead. Circumstances seem to show that Arie was responsible and even Leida believes that her father is the murderer of her fiancé. Arie is imprisoned but, because of lack of evidence, is shortly thereafter released. However, because he has been in prison, no-one is willing to give Arie a job. When the real murderer, a certain Nick Berg, is apprehended, it is too late for Arie, who dies in poverty.