A former priest becomes embroiled in the drama raging between a Mexican rancher, his unhappy daughter and psychotic son whilst dealing with his own issues of guilt and a loss of faith. A new relationship with the local brothel keeper seems to offer a fresh start but the rancher and his son are set on making him pay for his interference and his own inner demons are never far away.

A lost film. "The Beaten Path" was a 3-reel 3000-foot film produced by the Eclair company in the United States. The film was directed by O.A.C. Lund, and starred Barbara Tennant, O.A.C. Lund, Alec B. Francis, Julia Stuart, Will E. Sheerer. It premiered in August of 1913. Plot summary from "Moving Picture World", August 23, 1913: "This three-reel picture has many big situations in it. In the cast are some of the company's best players: Alec Francis, Julia Stuart, Barbara Tennant, Will Sherer, O.A.C. Lund, Hector Dion, and others. The story is of a family feud between two families, the heads of which quarrel over a boundary line. The main scenes are laid about large mansions, but there are others in an atmosphere of the Northwest, in primitive surroundings. "The Beaten Path" is a real feature."

A rigid families' employees turn the family house into a home by making their employers relax their wonted discipline.

A political secretary visits their cousin in hopes to understand why certain policies threaten that family member's way of life.