Character Relationship Map: The Auction Block

Characters

• Bob Wharton (played by Charles Ray) — protagonist

  Bob is the spendthrift son of a millionaire who marries beauty contest winner Lory Knight. After she leaves him, he takes a job in a shoe store and succeeds as a salesman. When Bernice's trick puts hi...

• Lorelei Knight (played by Eleanor Boardman) — supporting

  Lorelei, called Lory in the plot summary, is a beauty contest winner who marries Bob Wharton. Regretting her marriage to a man who has never worked, she leaves him and returns to Palmdale, South Carol...

• Bernice Lane (played by Sally O'Neil) — supporting

  Bernice is Carter Lane's sister. She vampes Bob and compromises him, leading the Lane family to insist that he must marry her or die. She later confesses that she tricked him, enabling Bob to escape t...

• Robert Wharton Sr (played by David Torrence) — supporting
• Carter Lane (played by Donald Reed) — supporting

  Carter Lane woos Lory after she leaves her husband, Bob Wharton, and returns to Palmdale, South Carolina. He is Bernice's brother, and the Lane family becomes involved in the conflict after Bernice co...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Carter Lane → Bernice Lane (Family Sibling) — Carter and Bernice belong to the same Lane family.

  Bernice is explicitly described as Carter's sister.

• Carter Lane → Lorelei Knight (Romantic Suitor) — Carter becomes a rival romantic prospect after Lorelei leaves Bob.

  After Lorelei returns to Palmdale, she is wooed by Carter Lane.

• Bob Wharton → Lorelei Knight (Family Husband) — Bob and Lorelei are married at the beginning of the story.

  Bob weds beauty contest winner Lorelei Knight.

• Bob Wharton → Robert Wharton Sr (Family Son) — Robert Wharton Sr is Bob's wealthy father.

  The plot describes Bob Wharton as the spendthrift son of a millionaire.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Bernice Lane → Bob Wharton (Conflict Manipulator) — Bernice deliberately traps Bob through a deceptive seduction.

  Bernice vamps Bob and compromises him before later confessing that the incident was her trick.

• Carter Lane → Bob Wharton (Conflict Romantic Rival) — Carter and Bob are placed in opposition over Lorelei's affection.

  Carter woos Lorelei, while Bob later arrives in town to try to win his wife back.

Story Analysis

A wealthy but idle husband changes his circumstances, survives a family trap, and wins back the wife who left him.

Plot Progression

1. A Marriage Built On Wealth — Bob Wharton, a millionaire's spendthrift son, marries beauty contest winner Lorelei Knight. Lorelei soon regrets marrying a man who has never worked.
2. The Wife Returns Home — Lorelei abandons Bob and returns to Palmdale, South Carolina. Carter Lane begins wooing her there.
3. Bob Finds His Work — Bob arrives in town and takes a job in a shoe store. He becomes a successful salesman, demonstrating a new capacity for work.
4. The Lane Family Trap — Bernice Lane vamps and compromises Bob. The Lane family then demands that he marry Bernice or face death.
5. A Chance To Reunite — Bernice confesses her trick, allowing Bob to escape the Lane family. At a charity auction, Bob gains his chance to win Lorelei back and they reunite.