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- Prevented from dating his sweetheart by his uncle, a young man turns his thoughts to murder.
- Helen and Manders are in love and wish to marry. Her parents object to his poverty and want her to marry Alving, a notorious rake, who is wealthy and powerful. Manders protests. The family physician also objects because of the result such a match would mean on the children, but Helen's parents laugh at these new-fangled notions. The doctor then appeals to Alving, who laughs him to scorn. Urged on by her parents, ambitious Helen, disregarding all warnings, marries Alving. Later Helen discovers a liaison between her husband and a young married woman. She contemplates leaving her husband and seeks her physicians advice, but he declines to give it. She then sees her pastor, who advises her to adhere to convention and her husband. Meanwhile, the young married woman gives birth to a child by Alving, and the physician agrees to bring the father to see it and keep the real parentage secret. Helen also bears a boy named Oswald. When Oswald is nine, Alving dies, a victim of his excesses. Oswald lives a clean life and studies art, but at times his mind seems affected. The mother remembers the doctor's warnings, but rejects them as silly. Knowing the boy has lived a clean life, however, she soon comes to accept the physician's predictions as fact, and schemes to save her son by marrying him to a sweet young girl. She picks out the daughter of her husband's paramour, and, totally unaware of the girl's parentage, draws the two young people together. They fall deeply in love and are to be wed. When the physician receives the wedding invitation, he realizes he must stop the wedding. He feels duty-bound to tell the truth, and does so to Oswald, his mother, his bride-to-be and her father. Realizing that he must protect the girl he loves and embittered by his inheritance, Oswald plunges into mad excesses. He grows to hate his father and then his mother for the past they have embedded in his nature, and his mother slowly realizes the truth of the physician's predictions. Horror stricken, she watches the gradual rotting of her son's brain. The girl, meanwhile, has retired to a convent. Against the oncoming insanity, Oswald fortifies himself with poison, but one day his mother finds him sitting on the floor, paralyzed, playing with the sunbeams, and runs for the pastor. During her absence, he succeeds in reaching the poison and mother and pastor find him dead. As her only hope of consolation, the mother turns to the pastor.
- Frank Andrews is a successful businessman. He has always found pride and joy in the company of his wife, son and daughter. He suddenly finds himself enthralled by the advances of a gay young woman siren, who lives in the same apartment house as he does. So marked an influence does she have over him as time progresses that at last he quite forgets his home ties, neglects his family, and goes the way of many other men who have forgotten the meaning of paternity and blood ties. The story is advanced through many scenes enacted with the accompanying notes of New York's night life, and the denouement comes when the faithful wife discovers her husband's infidelity. At this time the mother's mind nearly loses balance, while Jane, the beautiful daughter, crazed by the grief of her mother, determines to take part in the tragedy. With revolver in hand she steals up to the apartment of the woman, but her frail nature is overcome by the temperamental anger of the woman and her mission fails. However, the errand is not fraught with failure for the father, coming in at this moment, finds his daughter being made love to by the sweetheart of the young woman, and realizes the road upon which he has traveled. When he confronts his daughter and says, "You, my daughter, what are you doing here?" The daughter answers, "My father, what are you doing here?" The realization is brought home to the father's mind that the law of moral ethics that governs a woman's life necessarily governs that of wan as well. Reformation comes in his character. He takes his daughter away with him and together they go back to their home of happiness and content.
- Hunchbacked Japanese artist Marashida, marries Jewel, the daughter of Yasakuj. Their happy married life is destroyed when the daughter of an American missionary, Alice Carroway, known as Ali-San, persuades Marashida to pose for her sculpture of the deformed god Ni-O. While Marashida's character gradually deforms, Yasakuji recognizes in Ali-San the traits of the legendary Fox Woman, who because she had no soul of her own, stole those of others, sometimes turning warriors into crazy beasts. After Jewel, to please Marashida, indulges Ali-San's demand that she be her "playmate," she suffers further humiliation when Ali-San makes her the servant in her father's mission. Finally, Jewel discards the American clothes she is made to wear and, dressed in her wedding robes, goes to her ancestors' tomb to commit harakiri. When Yasakuji climbs up Ali-San's balcony, and she sees his face in her mirror, she accidentally falls off the balcony to her death. Released from Ali-San's spell, Marashida takes Jewel's dagger from her, and they live happily again.
- John Howard Payne at his most miserable point in life, writes a song which becomes popular and inspires other people at some point in their lives.
- Ralph Pelton, wealthy, arrogant New Yorker, has just won a suit for title to a large tract of land in the west. On the land in question are settled a number of small ranchers who had believed themselves owners, but Pelton had taken advantage of a sharp technicality. Pauperized by the legal struggle, the ranchers are desperate. Al Carter, as sheriff, is forced to serve ejectment papers on the ranchers, although his sympathies are with his fellow westerners. Scornful of any danger, Pelton travels west alone to inspect his new holdings. His arrival causes mutterings from the ranchers and townspeople. Arrogantly impressing the unwilling sheriff as a guide, Pelton starts on a horseback tour of his lands. Otto Walsh, one of the ranchers, follows Pelton and asks permission to move the house on his former ranch, which building he considers rightfully belongs to him. Pelton, without provocation, knocks Walsh down and starts to heat him cruelly. Carter at once arrests Pelton on a charge of assault. Walsh, painfully injured, reaches town first and his story arouses the ranchers, cowboys and townsmen. The sheriff takes his indignant, sneering prisoner through a threatening mob and lodges him in jail. The mob determines on revenge. Carter's deputies desert him, and the sheriff alone remains to protect Pelton. The mob kindles fire in the street and suspends a pot of tar over the flames. Pelton witnesses the preparations from the jail window. His nerve deserts him and he offers the sheriff $1,000, then $10,000 to spirit him away. The sheriff refuses. Pelton's fright becomes terror. "What's your price? I'll give you anything," he cries to the sheriff. Carter weakens and tells Pelton his price. The Easterner hesitates, then consents. Pelton signs a paper and hands Carter $10,000 in banknotes. The sheriff smuggles Pelton out the rear, gives him a horse and the Easterner gallops for the next railroad station. As the sheriff reenters his locked and barricaded office, one of the ranchers, coming into town, recognizes Pelton as he gallops by. The rancher reports the escape, and the maddened mob, just ready to apply the tar and feathers, breaks into the sheriff's office. Carter holds back the mob with his revolver, then hands over the paper and the $10,000 to one of the leaders with the remark, "My resignation as sheriff goes with this bribe." The paper is in the form of a deed, attested by the sheriff as a notary, and signed by Pelton. transferring to the former owners all the land involved in the court decision. Pelton also writes that the $10,000 is to reimburse the ranchers for their litigation expenses. The "bribe" is thankfully approved of by all.
- Charlie Jackson, on the death of his parents, is sent to live with his Aunt Sarah, a dope fiend and crook. She works upon the child's sympathies, until she has induced him to commit a robbery in her lodging house. Ten years later finds him her accomplice in all sorts of outrages. Charlie meets a young woman, Constance Grey, who is a teacher in a mission in the neighborhood. He protects her from a pair of roughs and wins her friendship. She gives him books and encourages him to study for a career. At length love develops between them. Constance's rich uncle discovers the attachment, and determined to know just what sort of a boy Charlie is, he takes a room at Aunt Sara's boarding house. She sees him counting his money and prevails upon her nephew to help her rob him. They enter the room and are about to get the money, when the old man wakes. A struggle ensues in which the aunt kills her lodger. But Charlie, who has not seen the blow, believes he is guilty. On the discovery of the crime, the young man is condemned to death and his aunt to life imprisonment. On the eve of Charlie's execution, Aunt Sarah is visited by mental pictures of "what might have been." She sees how, for the boy's sake, she might have become a good woman; how his instincts for decency might have been developed; sees him making a career for himself and marrying Constance. At that moment Charlie and his guards come by the cell on the way to the gallows. She screams out her confession, that it was she who killed the man, that Charlie is innocent.
- Little Rex McKnight, the precocious son of snobbish parents, does not like to play with the children of his mama's rich friends. Every chance he gets he runs away to enjoy life with little Mary Ellen Rafferty, whose widowed mother keeps the newsstand and tobacco shop on the corner. Mrs. Rafferty's bills for food, fuel, and rent accumulate faster than the profits of the shop. Her creditors become insistent. Mrs. Rafferty falls ill. At last, Mary Ellen pours their woes into the sympathetic ear of her playmate Rex, who racks his brain to think of some way to earn money for those who are in danger any hour of being thrown out on the street. An old blind woman gives Rex his inspiration. He gets the grocer's boy to paint him a sign reading, "Pity a Blind Widow with Six Children." This he hangs about his neck, and taking a tomato can to catch the bounty, he stations himself in a busy street. Rex garners a few coins but much more laughter until Chief Justice Jones happens along and the small boy tells him the whole story of the Raffertys' distress. Judge Jones visits Mary Ellen's sick mother and arranges to satisfy her creditors and give her a new start in business. Meanwhile, Mrs. McKnight is in hysterics over Rex's disappearance. But Judge Jones makes that all right also.
- Proud old man Hiram Judson lives with his grown daughter Nora and his 12-year-old daughter Ellen. He is possessed of an income from a mine out West and refuses to allow Nora to work, although the small income barely suffices to pay for their rooms and board in the boarding house kept by Mrs. Casey. Nora wants to work so she can have pretty clothes. Her father proudly tells her he is the support of the family and they must content themselves with what he provides. Nora has a beau, Frank Colton, whom her father doesn't look upon with favor. Judson receives word that his small income has been swept away. Still proud, he bravely determines he will earn sufficient to take care of his family and starts forth to find work, forbidding Nora to take any work or to help in any way except about the house. He finds it impossible to raise much money on account of his age. Finally in desperation, at the imminent loss of a roof over their heads, he accepts a job as a porter in an office building. It doesn't pay enough. When her father goes to work, Nora slips out, answers an ad, and gets a job with the firm of lawyers whose letter had announced the cessation of her father's income. This office is in the same building that Judson is now a porter. To save her father's pride and to keep him from the knowledge of her working, she mails her salary to him, writing on a letterhead of the firm, saying a small amount of the income was recoverable, etc. The old man is very proud and happy over it. He is glad that with his little income and his job he will be enabled to support them nicely. The knowledge that he is able to take care of them without assistance makes him feel better over the bum job he has. Things go along all right until Frank sees the old man one day and tries to prevent his working, telling him he will marry Nora and he can live with them. Judson refuses and forbids him to see Nora anymore. He reprimands Nora when she protests, repeating his assertion that he is the provider of the family and she must do as he says. Frank wants to tell the old man it is Nora's wages that support him more than his own, but Nora forbids him. One day Judson finds an error in a letter from the firm in reference to his remittance and calls to see them about it and finds out the truth. His pride wounded, he is angry at first, but finally realizes his daughter's love and care for him, and consents to her marriage, and reconciles himself to letting someone else care for him and his family henceforth.
- A dramatic comparison between the mating habits of animals and the way humans choose their own partners.
- The brothers, John and Charles Burton, have a quarrel over a stenographer, to whom Charles makes advances, not knowing that his brother and the stenographer are engaged. Charles terminates the quarrel by leaving the office. Later we find John visiting Charles at his bachelor apartments to explain to him that he and the stenographer are to be married. Charles is very much surprised and makes known to John that he had no intention of insulting the girl and did not know that John was interested in her. They fix up their differences and drink a toast to John's future wife. The last we see of the brothers they are drinking together. The next morning they are discovered by the butler. Charles has been murdered and John is unconscious. The room is in a disordered condition. The butler calls the police and the family physician. The police suspect John of the murder, and finding a picture of the stenographer with a knife through it, come to the conclusion that the brothers quarreled over her. They send for her and question John and her and arrest them both, against the advice of the family physician. The police leave with their prisoners, leaving the physician to make his report to the coroner. The physician searches the room and discovers in a secret drawer an Oriental jewel, which brings back the memory of his younger days in India, where he remembers having once seen a native render another unconscious by the use of a poisoned blow-pipe. He recognizes the odor which he has discovered in the room. He decides that the crime was committed by an outside party in search of the jewel, which he has discovered. He consults with his friend, the editor of the newspaper, who publishes in scare headlines the fact that the doctor has in his possession this wonderful jewel. The doctor, in the meantime, prepares his trap for the suspected criminal, whom he thinks will endeavor to regain possession of the jewel. Later we find a young Oriental woman coming to the doctor's office and trying to overcome him with the poisonous fumes of the blow-pipe. The doctor, prepared in advance, overpowers her and obtains from her the story of the loss of the jewel, which Charles had stolen from her years before, and she, in trying to obtain it the night before, entered his apartments, and after searching through the drawers of the desks in the room, murdered him in the heat of passion. After hearing her story the doctor conducts her to the police station, where John and the stenographer have been undergoing the third degree. Here the Oriental woman, after her confession to the police judge, poisons herself with a needle and the prisoners are released.
- Seamen Enoch Arden returns home after a long absence marooned on a desert island. At home he finds his wife married to another, and though he loves her, he cannot bear to disrupt her current happiness.
- Country girl May loses at cards and must borrow $250 from Captain Stiles, but the wealthy roué's loan does not come without an expectation of repayment.
- In a primitive log cabin buried among the rugged pines deep in the California mountains lives the Mountain Girl with her grandfather, a man of hoary age. Few visitors ever come to the cabin, but there is one who is almost a daily visitor, young Ned, a mountain ranger, who loves the Mountain Girl. The old grandfather looks forward each day to Ned's visits almost as eagerly as the girl does, for Ned always proves a good listener, and the old man's one amusement in life is relating anecdotes of his own youth. As a young man he was renowned far and wide for his prodigious strength, particularly in the grip of his hands and he never wearies of relating tales of his early prowess. One day a strange visitor is brought to the cabin by Ned. He is a dashing gambler from the mountain settlement at the head of the valley, who has been forcibly ejected from the settlement because of his too great skill at cards and because of a suspicion on the part of the rough mountaineers that his game was not always too straight. Ned had found him delirious after a terrible night spent alone in the mountains. The girl and the old man care for him until he has partially recovered from his shock and exposure. Devoid of gratitude, the gambler cast covetous eyes upon the Mountain Girl. Taking advantage of Ned's absence on a trip across the mountains, the gambler makes forcible love to the girl. The old man, helpless and paralyzed, is powerless to interfere. The girl fights for her honor in the cabin, while the old man sits helpless outside hearing the sounds of the struggle within. He prays for strength, and in answer to his prayers, strength is given him to drag himself to the door. The gambler, springing to bar his entrance, finds his throat caught in the clutch of the man whose grip was once the most powerful in the countryside. Desperately he tries to break it, but his efforts are of no avail. Slowly it squeezes the life out of him. A few moments later, Ned returning to the cabin, finds the old man dying with his head resting on his granddaughter's lap, and the body of the gambler dead on the cabin floor, support of an old mother. The doctor informs Agnes that if she does not arrange to remove the mother to some cool place she will succumb to the heat. As a desperate resort, Agnes writes a pitiful appeal for aid in getting her mother away from the city to some cool resort. She sows a number of copies of the appeal in the outing shirts at the factory. A wealthy bachelor, who is a philanthropist, buys one of the shirts and departs on a fishing trip in the mountains. Agnes' mother grows weaker and the girl anxiously inquires at the office for mail, hoping to receive some answer from the appeals sewed in the shirts. The only replies are a vulgarly written scrawl, trying to date her up, and a suggestion from a "charitably inclined" person that she place her old mother in a certain well-appointed poor house. In despair, Agnes steals money from the factory cash drawer, but in doing so, drops her handkerchief, which is initialed. The factory manager accompanies the police to her tenement that night, and they find part of the money, the rest having been spent to get things for her mother. Meanwhile the wealthy philanthropist on his fishing trip discovers Agnes' appeal sewed in the shirt. At first he does not give it serious thought, but that night his imagination pictures to him the old woman suffocating in the garret, and he cannot sleep. The next morning he leaves for the city to find the girl and save her mother. At the store they give him Agnes' address, and he arrives at the tenement just as Agnes is pleading with the police not to take her to jail, as she is her mother's sole support. She tells them that she stole the money to save her mother's life, but they do not believe her. The philanthropist stops the police and reimburses the manager. He displays Agnes' letter as a proof of her statement that she stole for her mother's sake. The philanthropist takes Agnes and her mother to the cool mountain resort where he was fishing and the old lady's life is saved. Stimulated by the refreshing out-of-doors, Agnes is transformed from the sullen factory slave to a joyous carefree girl. The bachelor's tender affection toward Agnes is suggested in the concluding scene.
- John Stafford is unjustly arrested on the eve of his marriage for the murder of an old gentleman whose body was found in his guardian's library. The young man is taken to the penitentiary, but eludes his guards and escapes. His sweetheart engages a noted detective who finds a small Hindu image in the hand of the dead man. Following this clue the detective learns that the image is symbolical of a Hindu secret sect known as "The Black Adepts." He trails two Hindus and finally arrests them. He finds in their possession the other part of the image in which is secreted a valuable ruby. Young Stafford is recaptured, but is saved from execution when news of the arrest of the Hindus is telegraphed to the penitentiary.
- The Girl was a moving-picture fan. She could not get her screen hero out of mind. This made Gordon, her young sweetheart, miserably jealous. So he went to gorge himself with candy and forgot his heartache while the Girl indulged in blissful daydreams. The Girl fell asleep. Real dreams visited her. She thought that her screen hero had saved her from Gordon and his gang, that he was showering her with gold, and that the next day they were to marry and flee together to a far country. But when she awoke she was hugging the sofa cushion, and the Boy was standing smiling down at her.
- The dear old grandma has come to Red Riding Hood's home, here with a present for her grandchild which she has made herself. This is a beautiful hood made in granny's cleverest and most loving way. Little Red Riding Hood is charmed by it, and expresses her joy freely. Granny then goes home to her lonely hut in the woods, escorted by her niece. One beautiful autumn afternoon little Red Riding Hood is sent by her mother to take some goodies to Grandma. She tip toes on her way, but grows tired and sits to rest under a tree. She stops and dreams the well-known story: How a wolf in the guise of a friendly dog came and asked her where she was going. She told him, and the said wise wolf sped to granny's cot using shorter route. Arriving there he satisfied his wolfish appetite on poor grandma's aged carcass and donning her night cap, took her place in the bed. Little Red Riding Hood appears and enters the bedroom, gladsomely exhibiting her presents. The wary wolf, after a confidential chat, jumps at her. She screams, her father, the woodsman, and his trusty men rush in, dispatch the wolf and save her. Awakened suddenly by her own screams Red Riding Hood cannot break the spell of that awful dream. So she goes timidly to the cottage, peeks cautiously in at the window, finding granny alive and well.
- An artist falls for a society girl, only to be shot by her jealous suitor. The artist's sweetheart intervenes and saves his life.
- Kitty, the pretty young wife of a Texas businessman, feels neglected and unwanted as her husband pays more attention to his business interests than he does to her and spends more and more time away from home. A handsome young neighbor notices her emotional state and decides to try to take advantage of it. In her confused and lonely condition, Kitty finds herself attracted to the man and begins to think about running away with him.
- Waldo and the baby go on an outing to the beach with their nurse, but Waldo just consumes much learning from his book wherever he goes or wanders. Nurse goes off with the auto driver and leaves the studious one in charge of the baby. This gives Bob and Tilly a chance. Bob is a pirate chief and his crew consists of Tilly and two Black slaves, Rastus and Dave. Waldo would not think of playing pirates, but he becomes part of the game all right. They bind him in their pirate cave and sail away for the sea with the baby. But the pirate brig is a leaky motorboat that runs away out to sea. Bold pirates become frightened ones when the runaway boat also starts to leak, but when the nurse returns and learns what her neglect led to, assistance is soon sent to the pirates.
- Nell and her old grandmother are poor and alone in the world and finally leave their old home and wander into the country in search of work. They reach a little country town and apply at a boarding house for work. Nell agreeing to work for nothing but board and lodging for herself and "Granny." This Sears, the proprietor, agrees to, but Nell is worked to death at waiting on table and other chores, and Sears is very unkind to her and "Granny." Graham Wilkes, a wealthy young man from the city, on the outs with his father, comes to the boarding house and becomes interested in little Nell, much to Sears' disgust, the latter redoubling his harsh treatment of Nell. Finally they can stand it no longer and leave. But en route Nell overhears a plan to rob Sears and Wilkes by a couple of tramps, and in spite of her being badly treated by the former, she decides to warn them and prevent the robbery, which she does. Sears now repents of his treatment of her but Wilkes has become interested and Nell turns to him for care and comfort for herself and Granny.
- A woman with a notorious past enchants a student preparing for the foreign service.
- Granddad and his three grandchildren, Helen, Tom and Lucy, live a happy, simple life in their little cabin in the mountains. But the little circle is broken when a rich lady summering at the mountain hotel sees Helen, and taking a fancy to her, takes her with the reluctant consent of Granddad to her city home. In the excitement of society life with the beautiful clothes provided her by her benefactress, Helen's head is turned and she drops home ties, foolishly ashamed of her humble mountain home. In the course of time, she marries Roger Leonard, a wealthy young man, but does not tell him of her granddad and the children, thinking that he would be ashamed of them. Letters from home are unanswered, and granddad mourns, thus neglecting the other two, though unintentionally. They ponder how to find their sister and thus make him happy once more. One day they gather their little hoard together and start on their mission. A teamster comes along and thus they are taken far away before granddad misses them. Reaching the city, their funds give out and they are forced to sing in the streets. Various adventures befall them and they finally sing outside Helen's home. Alone in the twilight she hears the childish voices singing the same old songs that she had taught her brother and sister at home. Belated remorse overwhelming her, she sends the maid out to bring the singers in, and to her surprise, it is Lucy and Tom. Roger enters and Helen confesses and the whole deception and her cruel neglect. Roger gladly welcomes the children and the whole party immediately go to granddad, where everything is forgiven and happiness is once more supreme.
- The fireman is in love with his engineer's daughter and is accepted by her in his proposal of marriage. While the engineer is absent a tube blows out of the engine and the fireman quits his post and crouches beside the engine while the steam escapes. The engineer, coming up, jumps aboard, shuts off the steam and is painfully burned. For the first time he sees the fireman in his cowardly situation and berates him as a man unworthy a place in the cab. The engineer succeeds in having the fireman discharged for quitting his post. The fireman visits the daughter with his troubles, but on his departure the arriving father explains the circumstances of the fireman's dismissal and advises the daughter to have nothing to do with a coward. Wandering aimlessly down the tracks the fireman comes to an aviator working on an aeroplane, and, making application, secures a job as mechanic. The engineer's daughter and her little sister are playing about the railroad tracks chasing a dog when the former's foot is caught in a frog, and at first unsuspecting of their danger they play at releasing it. Down the line the father is aboard about to start out with a new fireman when the throttle is thrown open, and, jumping off with a spurt, the engine tosses the two into the ditch and races away. Having no success in releasing the foot, the girls have become anxious and discover that a train is soon due. The little one runs to the nearby station and finding no one there makes use of her knowledge of telegraphy to wire for help to the adjoining station. The discharged fireman happens to be passing and catches the message. They tell him the particulars at the station and he races to the aeroplane and flies away toward the rescue. A duel of speed ensues between the aeroplane and the runaway engine bearing down on the girl, who now fully realizes her danger. When the aeroplane finally catches the engine, the ex-fireman slides down a rope and swings into the cab, shuts off the engine and saves the girl. The father arrives later with others and extends his apologies and complete forgiveness of the man he had wrongfully branded a coward.
- Dear old Uncle Francois finds himself in his club with a party of old college mates upon the evening of his arrival from abroad. He had wired his expectant niece that he would appear before them in the course of the evening after an hour's reunion with the old boys. The hour's reunion lengthened sadly, for after much banqueting the boys gather in the card room for a game of college days, Strip Poker. Here are two of the rules of the game: (1) The articles of clothing worn by the participants at the time of sitting in to be the basis of all bets made. (2) No winner may return at the end of the session any article of apparel lost by any participant. Nephew and niece are in despair of the non-coming of Uncle Francois. Nephew is in a terrible financial hole and needs $10,000 to margin his accounts the next morning and while his wife is positive that Uncle will come to the rescue they unhappily wait up the entire night for Uncle's coming. Come he does, in a barrel, shoved through the library window by the rest of the crowd, who flee before the advance of a policeman. Matters are finally straightened out to the satisfaction of all except the condition of Uncle's head.
- Famous kid detective Dick, with the co-operation of his stenographer, succeeds in running down a desperate character. But the little stenographer falls victim to the wiles of the villain's wicked accomplices, and is placed by them in vile duress in an alley ash-barrel, where she falls asleep. The ashman comes and loads the barrel, with other trash, into his wagon and drives off. When the bad-boy accomplices discover that the ash man has taken the barrel away to be dumped into the ocean, their terror knows no bounds. With Detective Dick they pursue the wagon in hot haste, arriving at the ocean just as the ashman throws the barrel into it. The little stenographer's hat floats to the surface, convincing the frightened kids that she has drowned. They inform the ashman what an awful tragedy has happened, and he dives to find the body. But the cute mistress of the typewriter, awakened by a sudden jolt of the wagon, opportunely escaped from the barrel sometime before. When she appears to the boys in the flesh they believe she is a ghost and are frightened nearly to death.
- Sweet maiden lady Miss Abagail Dean is tricked by Caleb Lacey, an old lover, into an agreement to marry him secretly and to invest all her small fortune in a pretended business deal in which he says he is interested. Just in the nick of time the twins are sent to stay with their Aunt Abagail. They are instantly suspicious of Caleb. They exchange the money in the bag which their aunt gives her deceiver for paper dolls, and when the old ne'er-do-well and spendthrift tries to pay some back debts with the contents of the bag, he goes to jail, paper dolls not being negotiable. Abagail tearfully celebrates her narrow escape.
- Jack Simmons, a racing driver, owns a fast car which he enters in the Corona races. Shortly before the meet is to take place, the bank in which the savings of his parents as well as his own are deposited, suspends payment and they are left penniless. Confident in the speed of the car and his ability as a driver, Jack raises all the money he can and bets it on the race. Joe Siler, a plunger, has wagered a large sum of money on the contestant, whom he thinks will win the race, but the form shown by Jack's car in the practice races worries him. He knows that he cannot bribe him, so he pretends friendship for Simmons and wins his confidence. Shortly before the race is to start Simmons is found drugged and unable to pilot his car. Siler, who is responsible for this condition of affairs, goes to the track, secure in the belief that nothing can prevent his favorite winning. To his surprise Simmons' car, with a new driver, enters the race and wins. Almost ruined by the loss of the money he recklessly wagered on the race, Siler is confronted by the new driver, the racing cap is pulled off, and a mass of hair falls over the leather-clad shoulders. It is a girl, Simmons' sister, familiar with automobiles since childhood and rated to be almost as good a driver as her brother. Amid the laughter of the spectators Siler slinks off, while "the tomboy" returns joyfully home to tell her parents and her brother how the race was won.
- In the attic of her home, an old lady comes upon the high chair of her children. The incidents of her life pass in visions before her. She recalls her home-coming as a bride, the happy years with her husband and growing children. The first great sorrow, the death of her only daughter, is lived over again. Then she sees her favorite son, Jack, leaving home to satisfy his longing for adventure. The call to arms takes husband and elder boy from her, the former never to return. Sam marries Sylvia Lee and goes away to build up a fortune in the city. Recently, she has visited him and his beautiful young wife. Sam has urged her to come and live with them, but the old lady has decided that their household, after all, never can be home to her. So she finds herself back now in her own cottage, peopled with precious memories. As she sits, alone, brooding over the past, she hears steps on the stairs. A tall figure crosses the dusky attic room in two strides, and clasps the old lady in his arms. It is Jack, the adventurer, home from sea. Then, over the old high chair, mother and son exchange laughter, tears and kisses.
- John Renton gripped his sister's hand and pointed out a huge billboard. It announced that Gouron, "The Violinist of the Century," would favor New York with one recital that evening. Patting her shoulder, he sent her home and betook himself to a poor quarter of the town, and taking his violin from its case began to play. In the course of an hour, a few pennies were bestowed upon him, when suddenly a representative of one of the "finest" brusquely told him to move on. At the same time the St. Regis was the scene of great excitement welcoming Gouron, who, in company with his manager, Ryler, was making ready to depart for his recital. Ryler was summoned ahead, however, and Gouron, accompanied by his valet, stepped into his taxi. Fate saw fit to provide a drunken driver for the great Gouron and in a squalid portion of the city the car came to an abrupt stop, and Gouron was forced to make his way on foot. Suddenly Gouron quieted the valet's complaints with an imperative gesture, and turning into a doorway listened intently, for to his sensitive ear came the music of a great soul. Gouron tiptoed his way toward the source of the exquisite harmony. The musician was Renton. Gouron was great enough to be above the petty jealousies of a lesser artist and impulsively becoming acquainted with the Rentons and the circumstances, bethought him of a benevolent ploy to provide the boy with his opportunity. Gouron realized that not one person in the audience would probably know him by sight, and his plan was nothing less than to have Renton give his recital. A hurried change of clothes was effected, and the bewildered boy and his awe-struck sister taken to the theater where Gouron forced the unwilling Ryler to accede to his plans, and Ryler in an agony of trepidation introduced Renton to the anxiously waiting audience as the great Gouron. The recital fulfilled Gouron's expectations. Renton's triumph was immediate and terrific and Gouron himself at the close of the recital stepping upon the stage and taking the trembling boy's hand in his, courageously told the audience of the deception he had practiced upon them in order that a genius might be presented to the world.
- Dick and Mary quarrel and break their engagement. Each, unknown to the other, decides to go on a sea voyage to soothe their wounded feelings. They book passage on the same steamer. After the ship has sailed, the former lovers become aware of each other's presence, but they stay haughtily aloof. Dick's small brother Georgie and Mary's little sister Carmen, who have been taken along, are squelched in their innocent desires to play together. Dan, the cabin boy, soon is "on'' to the situation. He constitutes himself Cupid, and cajoles a jolly curate into bringing about the marriage of the reunited lovers. All ends happily, thanks to Dan, for the grownups and the youngsters.
- "The Hunchback" earns a scanty living as a tinker, traveling from house to house, but on account of his deformity, there is no one who cares for him. Although a great lover of children, they flee at his approach. Taking pity on a little girl whose doll has been broken, he spends all his earnings to replace her plaything, and in consequence, the people with whom he boards, order him out. Tired and despairing, he gets, unobserved, into a freight car, and is carried to a western mining town. There the wanderer finds friends in a miner and his little girl. An accident renders the little girl fatherless, and the hunchback brings the child to womanhood. As the years pass the cripple grows to care for his ward, but when he tells her of his love, he finds that it is not returned. The girl falls in love with a young prospector, and the jealous hunchback seeks to take his life, and then weakens in his resolve. Later the prospector is in deadly danger and the hunchback decides to let him die. But when he recalls a promise he made to the girl's dying father and of his own desire for happiness, he makes the sacrifice and saves the life that means so much to her.
- The Prologue shows man as 'Power,' garbed in Greek-classic costume, standing at the parting of life's highway. One road leads to 'Success' - the other to ''Failure'. He (Power) is confronted by a figure emblematic of 'Pleasure,' who points to out to him "the easiest way," then 'Ignorance' leads him to the end of the road. where 'Destruction' stands. The classic figures disappear and the story begins: 'Power-The Absentee' leaves his factory in charge of his manager 'Might." who wrecks the property in order that his wife, 'Extravagance," and his daughter, 'Vanity,' may devote themselves to lives of selfish pleasure. It is only when 'Justice,' the office stenographer. forces 'Power' to right the harm done to his employees that he sees the error in believing that 'Might' is right. Then comes the realization that 'Justice' should go hand-in-hand with 'Power," and so they are wed, and 'Ambition,''Opportunity' and 'Success' array themselves on his side.
- Royal Macklin, a cadet at WEst Point, is discharged for a misdemeanor, and the father of Beatrice, Macklin's sweetheart, order her to break the engagement. Macklin goes to Honduras, in the midst of a revolution, and joins the Patriot army of General LaGuerre in the fight against Alvarez and his rebels. Macklin proves his valor in battle and saves the life of General Laguerre. But Beatrice and her father, having found that Macklin was innocent of the charge that caused his dismissal, are in Honduras and have been captured by Alvarez.
- Jack Morton, studying art in Paris, is shocked by a cable from his father to the effect that he has married a second time and that Jack is to come home at once and meet his stepmother. Before sailing, Jack receives a letter from his fiancée, Lucy Wordon, explaining matters. Upon Jack's return to home and his fiancée, his fancied dislike toward his youthful stepmother soon disappears. His kind regard and liking for her had grown into a love that threatened to wreck his entire life and break Lucy's heart. Madge realized that all were standing on the brink of a tragedy, and summoning every particle of womanly strength to the rescue used her potent influence over her stepson to bring about a marriage with Lucy, feeling certain that a little separation and time would cure him of his infatuation and restore his love for the sweet girl he once loved so devotedly. The marriage was quickly consummated and the young couple off on their honeymoon. A year passed and Jack returned with his bride to his father's home. At the first look into his step-mother's eyes he realized that she had passed through the fire safely, but at the same moment realized that while his feeling for her had dulled to the point where control of its expansion was possible, the old love still lived. However, a solution of the problem is impending for direct from the source of all goodness comes the factor that, once introduced into this tangle of twisted, aching, but right-doing hearts, brings first peace, then content, and finally happiness.
- The business man was thoroughly disgusted with his son, for the boy was a failure at college and did not show any signs of ever amounting to anything. The last straw was when he announced his engagement to a fair co-ed. The father was a kindly man, however, and determined to give the youth a last chance. He presented him with a row of houses in a subdivision of a Western city, telling him that upon his success in disposing of the property would depend whether or not he was disinherited. It must be admitted that the father was handing his son a lemon, for "Beautiful Bismark," as the suburb was named, had been a drag on the market. For a while the son was in despair, but one day his chance came. A caller refused to get excited over the cottages, but gave it as his opinion that "Beautiful Bismark" was an excellent oil property. A good business man would have recognized that there was something wrong with the enthusiast, and arranged for his prompt return to the asylum from which he had escaped. The young college man, however, took the ravings of the other seriously, and improved the property with the last of his money. That is why in Beautiful Bismark today there are rows of cottages with oil wells in the front yards. The young man made good, much to everyone's surprise, was not disinherited, and married the woman he loved. And the father never knew that the son was simply lucky and went through life believing he was a remarkable business man.
- Mr. Gay, receiving a ticket and invitation to a bal masque, hires a costume, but knowing his wife will object, he secretly smuggles it into the house, intending to go to the ball when wife is asleep. But Mrs. Gay has fears about a burglar operating in the neighborhood. Gay calms her fears and so that she will go to bed early Gay suggests that she take a sleeping powder, but Mrs. Gay discovers the costumes, then understanding why Gay was so anxious for her to sleep, decides to turn the tables. Instead of taking the sleeping powder herself she puts it in Gay's decanter of whiskey. Then hiding the costume where Gay can't find it, she peacefully sleeps. Mary, the maid, entertains Hogan, the cop. Hogan is thirsty, so Mary helps him freely from her master's decanter. Gay is pleased when he finds his wife asleep. Not able to find the costume he is about to start to the ball without it. The drugged whiskey had its effect on Hogan. Mary, after vainly trying to awaken him, has left him asleep in the kitchen. Gay hears Hogan snoring in the kitchen, investigates and gets an idea as he sees Hogan's uniform. He leaves the house, dressed in Hogan's uniform, and then wishes he had a mask. Belt, the burglar, has just finished work in a neighboring house. He is about to leave when he sees Gay, and mistaking him for a cop, he drops bag of tools and runs. While looking through the bag, Gay discovers Belt's mask. His costume complete, he hastens to the ball. Later, Belt arrives at Gay's house, sees an open window and enters. But before he starts to work he takes several drinks of drugged whiskey and is soon fast asleep. Mrs. Gay awakens and angry at her husband's action, starts to investigate. She hears Hogan, who has awakened, and thinking that it is maybe her husband, she enters the kitchen. Seeing a strange man, she runs out screaming, and turning the key in the door, she locks Hogan in. Then tries to take refuge in the dining-room, but finds another strange man in there. She screams again as she comes from the room. Hogan hearing her scream manages to get out of the kitchen by the back door, and running around side of house, tries to enter through an open window. But Mrs. Gay, as she sees his head coming through open window, she mistakes Hogan for another burglar, and gathering courage, knocks him out with a club, then retires to her own room and locks the door. When Gay arrives home he finds Hogan unconscious. He helps him into the house, gives him back his uniform, and while Hogan is dressing, Gay discovers the burglar. Belt is still asleep. So Gay has an easy time to capture him single-handed. Mrs. Gay hearing her husband's voice, comes on the scene as Gay has his foot on the burglar's neck. Mrs. Gay embraces her husband and calls him "Her Brave Hero."
- Mae Carter is the ward of Col. Aitken and the fiancée of his nephew Robert. They plight their troth and after much teasing from Mae, Bob succeeds in giving her an engagement ring. While Mae and Bobby are out riding one day the shoe of Mae's horse becomes loosened. She calls for Bob to exert his masculine strength and jerk the shoe from the horse's foot to save the horse further pain. After several unsuccessful pretenses to release the shoe they go to a blacksmith. Mae discovers in the blacksmith a man of extraordinary strength. He jerks the shoe from the horse with one pull, and thereby wins the admiration of Mae. That night Mae dreams that she is the cave woman of Robert, a cave man. While eating shrubs she is attacked by another giant cave man and about to be carried off when a rescuer appears, and he proves to be none other than the blacksmith. In the morning she pays a visit to his shop and takes a snapshot of him, much to the distress of Robert. She breaks off her engagement with Robert and is about to elope with the blacksmith when her uncle, having dealt with many women in his time, and knowing feminine ways better than Bob, concocts a scheme whereby he will induce the two to live at his house for a month to find out if they still love each other, at the end of which time he promises to consent to the marriage. The girl gives an engagement party and his conduct makes her see how impossible a match would be between the two. Thoroughly disgusted, she breaks off her engagement and returns to Robert. A marriage between her and Robert is arranged by the Colonel for the following day, and the blacksmith learning of it becomes jealous. When the ceremony is about to take place, the blacksmith comes to the house and steals the bride and plans to take her to a neighboring town and marry her himself. He gets away with her and after many hair-breadth escapades he finally gets caught in the quicksand with the girl but Robert releases him and the wedding takes place.
- An author with talent has trouble in disposing of it; another author prostitutes his gifts by writing and selling books that show a wrong, distorted viewpoint of life. The poor author refuses to write such bad books and severely reprimands his daughter, whom he finds just starting to read one. Times become very hard and he is tempted to sacrifice his ideals. He writes such a morbid novel and is ashamed. He falls asleep, exhausted, across his desk. He dreams his book is in covers and that a little girl, tired of poverty and lack of good times, has read it. Out of its pages step the little girl and man, characters of the story, and take the poor girl, May, along with them to show her life (according to the author), as it should be lived. The author sees in his dream. May ruined and disgraced by the man in his book. She is denied refuge by her mother. Passing a photographer's, sees there a photo of the author. She destroys this in a rage and tells the owner that he (the author) has betrayed and ruined her. She then goes to her room and turns on the gas. The dream is over, the author still asleep. His daughter tiptoes in and takes his manuscript from the desk and starts to read. The author wakes, his dream still vivid, and sees his daughter starting to read his manuscript. He snatches it from her, telling her that it was not finished. After she has gone, "That is the best ending," he says as he watches it burn. Then he sits down at his desk again and starts to write a better and sweeter and truer story.
- A poor old mother has a scapegrace son whose drinking and gambling habits break her heart, although she strives mightily to lead her boy right. But he will not stay home nights and travels with a tough mob, one of whom finally leads him into a robbery. The man they plan to rob is a wealthy man, whose philanthropy is well known. Invited to come to see him, the boy goes to see Keene, but only to get the lay of the land, for he and his pal, who plan to rob his house. The boy and his crook pal later go to the man's house to rob and the boy waits in the hall standing guard, while his pal investigates the safe. etc. The crook carries a 38 caliber gun while Keene has a 32 in his desk, and while the burglar is looking over the place Keene enters the room, surprises the burglar, who fires on him and is in turn shot and killed by Keene. The latter is mortally wounded, the shots that wounded him also knocking his gun out of his hand, and he is thus forced to use the dead burglar's gun with which to protect himself against the boy, who enters on the run. Keene wounds the boy and then falls dead himself. The boy, trying to get away, thinks he is dying and thinks of mother, etc. Maids are scared on account of the shots and dare not approach the room. The boy believing he is done for, crawls back to the room, places the burglar's gun back in his hands, crawls to the side of Keene, and the police, and particularly the mother, are led to believe that the boy was wounded by the burglar while defending his benefactor. This is published in the papers and the mother is happy at the thought of her boy being honest, and the boy realizes here is his chance to foster that belief in him by remaining "straight" always and be worthy of his mother's trust.
- May and her younger sister, Carol, live in a small town. May is the more lovely of the two, but Carol is wooed by Frank, a country boy. George, a city man, comes to town on a visit, falls in love with Carol and wins her away from Frank. Carol is pleased with his attentions and poor Frank is brokenhearted. Calling one day to see Carol, George meets May and falls madly in love with her, and finally runs away with her and they are married. Carol, in despair, turns back to Frank and they are married, and a year later a baby is born. In the meantime, May and George have been living in another town. May is about to become a mother. George brings her to her own home for the interesting event and her child is soon born, but is still born. Crying for her baby, the physicians fear to tell her and are forced to try and find a baby to take its place until the wife is strong enough to bear being told the truth. Carol is approached and at first refuses but finally, for her sister's sake, consents and May is made happy. Carol misses her baby and May refuses to let her bother with "her" child and Carol is frantic but dare not tell the truth. Finally May overhears the truth from the doctor and nurses' conversation and takes the baby back to her real mother, and the sisters are reconciled.
- Rancher Nash takes his little daughter May to her grandmother's for a visit and on his way back to the ranch meets Frenchy, a stranger who has just ridden into the valley. He invites Frenchy to the ranch for dinner, then offers him work as a cowhand, which Frenchy accepts. Bess, Nash's other daughter, befriends Frenchy and arouses the jealousy of Logan, the ranch foreman, who is in love with her. The punchers ridicule the stranger for his polite manner and style of dress, and make things as hard as possible for him. Growing more jealous every day, Logan runs Frenchy's horse away from the ranch and dares him to ride an outlaw, hoping to see him injured and show him up before the others. Frenchy masters the horse, and in a quarrel with Logan shows that he is quicker on the draw than the foreman. The boys go to town to attend a dance and Frenchy buys some new clothes for it. In the saloon he meets Logan, who takes exception to his style of dress and in a quarrel which follows, shoots at Frenchy but merely grazes his check. To show his own marksmanship Frenchy shoots out a couple of the lights and then returning Logan's gun to him, dares him to draw. The foreman's nerve fails him and he leaves the saloon, where Frenchy is making friends with the boys with his gameness. On the way back to the ranch the boys leave Frenchy asleep at the watering hole, thinking to play a joke on him, but Frenchy's horse wanders away, and to turn the joke on the boys he walks back to town and puts up at the hotel. The horse reaches the ranch riderless and Nash, fearing for Frenchy's safety, orders a search. After two days he rides into town to enlist the sheriff's aid in locating Frenchy and finds him sitting on the hotel steps enjoying a cigarette and the joke. Angered, Nash discharges him and orders him to return to the ranch for his packs. On the way home Nash stops for his daughter, May. and during the trip she becomes very ill. The ranch is reached and Logan is sent for a doctor but finds him gone. Arriving at the ranch French learns of May's illness; he takes a medical kit from his packs and saves her life. Ashamed of his rudeness, Nash entreats Frenchy to make the ranch his home, but he refuses and rides away.
- Farcical ethnic humor has clothing salesman Ike Levinsky bringing his son to the circus and trying to get by without paying admission.
- Jim McRae and his pal, Clancy, two crooks, perform many robberies and divide the loot equally. Clancy wants to marry McRae's daughter, Mary. She does not want to marry him, but is forced to do so by her father. After the marriage, Clancy and McRae have a quarrel over the division of some loot. Clancy refuses to give McRae his share. The latter gets sore and squeals on Clancy to the police. Clancy is arrested and sent to the state penitentiary. In the meantime McRae and his daughter have been watching the arrest from a nearby corner, and when they see Clancy taken away, they decide to leave the country. They go to the orange country and live in a little shack near the orange groves. McRae makes his living by stealing oranges, etc. He is caught by one of the owners and ordered off the place. The owner of the grove returns to his house and tells his son about the affair. In the meantime Mary McRae and the son have met and the latter is very much in love with Mary, though she feels that she cannot return his love on account of the marriage with Clancy. A few nights later, McRae drives up to the grove with a wagon and starts stealing oranges when he is caught by the hired man. The latter takes a shot at McRae. McRae returns the shot and wounds the hired man. The owner and his son, on the porch, hearing the shots, rush to the scene, the son following McRae. During this time, Clancy has made his getaway from prison and comes to the orange country also, and finally comes to the shack where McRae and his daughter are living. He sees Mary and makes her get her hat and coat and go with him. The father comes on the scene; the two men pull guns on each other, and Mary rushes to the lamp to put out the light. Clancy shoots at the light and hits Mary. McRae raises his gun to shoot, and Clancy and he shoot simultaneously and both drop to the floor. The son of the orange grower, hearing the shots, comes to the house and finds all three lying on the floor and thinks them dead. He picks up Mary and a wallet drops from her waist. The bullet has pierced the wallet but has not gone through. She explains all details, and the son asks her to marry him as the picture ends.
- Pondering on the mysteries of this mysterious world, Olive goes to Dick in his detective office. True to her fairy book she planted a coin and it grew into bearing more. Now she finds it stolen, with boys', dogs', and cats' footprints all over the place, where she left big Carlo to guard the coin. That wakes Dick up. He suspects Dirty Face Dan and his pals, but like all suspects, they are defiant. Thatdoesn't please Dick; he calls a trial, and between third degrees and guilty consciences the dirty work comes out and Dick gets his face washed.
- Sally Smith, a poor girl, hires out to the rich Widow Smith who is no relation of hers. Sally is forced to work very hard while Dora Smith, the widow's daughter, is always having a good time. Dora is invited to a party where Henry, the idol of the village, is to be present. Her mother orders that a beautiful frock which has just arrived in town, be sent to the house, as she intends to buy it for Dora to wear to the party, The package is delivered at the kitchen door. It is directed simply to Miss Smith. Sally receives it, thinking that some unknown fairy godmother has made it possible for her to go to the party. She is overcome with happiness. Because the dress does not arrive, Dora gives up attending the function. But Sally goes in the beautiful gown, and Henry immediately falls in love with her. The widow and daughter discover what has become of the dress. They go to the party to arrest Sally for stealing it. But Mr. Crocker, the storekeeper, tells them that as the frock was not paid for, it is not their property, and that this makes the arrest illegal. He then gives the frock to Sally. Later, Henry marries his Cinderella.
- Mildred's uncle comes to America upon a visit. He brings her a soldier doll of wonderful construction. To the chagrin of Paul, Mildred's boy chum, the doll becomes her adored companion. He even catches Mildred bestowing a kiss upon the painted unresponsive cheek of his "rival." Paul, in a fit of jealousy, slips out of the house, steals the doll from Mildred and hides it in his own bureau. That night the doll comes out of the hiding place and escapes. Paul gives chase. The doll mounts a pony and Paul does likewise, but the doll has the lead and reaches Mildred first. She elopes with him; Paul in pursuit. Mildred and the doll arrive at the minister's and are married before Paul reaches the place, but Paul, having supplied himself with his father's sword, arrives before the couple leave and runs the sword right through. Paul wakes up just at this melodramatic crisis, tiptoes over and finds the doll safe in the bureau, so he does what any other wise, tired boy would do, curls up under the warm blankets with a sigh of content.
- Minerva comes home from school filled with the idea that she has a great mission in life. All society needs reformation. She has her maiden aunt come to live with her as chaperon, and Minerva immediately starts in by reconstructing her. The trust company that has charge of her fortune is represented by young Mr. Grant, who looks on with dismay at the operations of Minerva and tries to dissuade her, but without success. She stops him from smoking and he compiles when she isn't looking. She discovers this and quarrels with him. A laborer making some repairs at the house attracts her attention when she finds him drinking a pail of beer with his lunch. She remonstrates with him and questions him about his home life. As a result she visits his mother's home and tries to educate the family, much against their will, lavishing money on them. The boorish workman, misconstruing Minerva's interest, puts on his Sunday best when she calls, and at last insults her. When she repulses him, his cupidity makes him covet her money and he resorts to force to get it. She manages to get word to the banker's son, who comes with policemen and rescues her.