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- Prevented from dating his sweetheart by his uncle, a young man turns his thoughts to murder.
- During the Civil War, young Lieutenant Graham from the North is housed with his men in the Southern home of Virginia Fairmont. She hates him as she does all Yankees, despite his consideration and courtesy. One day a peddler comes to her home. He is her brother Randolph, a Confederate spy. He manages to give her a note which must be conveyed to General Lee before sunrise. Virginia, who has been permitted to ride wherever she pleases, starts off. At the turn in the road she manages to slip the message into her boot. Graham sees this, follows and demands to know what it is. She holds out the wrong foot and as he pulls off the hoot she rides away. She delivers her message to General Lee safely and the Confederate Army is thus enabled to make an advantageous move. After the war, young Graham calls upon Virginia Fairmont to return her boot, and takes her heart in exchange.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Molly Kite, the neglected child of a drunken father, rouses the sympathy of the minister, Mr. Shipton, who also teaches the school at Dead Tree. The minister-school-master persuades some of his parishioners to give the girl decent clothes, and he coaxes her into attending school. At first unruly and sullen, she gradually comes to feel that the minister is her best friend. One day she happens to see him meet a strange girl on the street. Apparently overjoyed, he kisses the stranger. Molly rushes into the house, tears off her new clothes, and vows she will never go to school again. Then her primitive jealousy aflame, she makes her drink-crazed father promise that he will aid her in a plot to kill the minister. The next day Mr. Shipton meets his wayward pupil, in answer to a note he has received from her in an out of the way place. Molly's father is lurking near with his gun. He threatens the minister's life, but, maudlin with drink, has not the will power to pull the trigger. Mr. Shipton talks to the man, calms him and at last takes him home. Meanwhile Molly has discovered that the girl of whom she was so bitterly jealous, is the minister's sister. She begs the minister's forgiveness.
- A dramatic comparison between the mating habits of animals and the way humans choose their own partners.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Before his niece and ward, Dosia Dale, comes of age, her uncle, who has spent her entire fortune, must think of a way to account for his actions. He proposes marriage, and when Dosia indignantly refuses him, he conspires with his evil friend, Dr. Protheroe, to do away with her. Declaring Dosia insane, the two men lock her up in the doctor's insane asylum, but she manages to drop a note from the window. Her plea for help is found by a reporter named Ford, who feigns insanity in order to gain admittance to the asylum. Dr. Protheroe becomes suspicious of Ford and locks him up with Dosia, whereupon Ford, knowing that his friend Cuthbert will notify the police if he and Dosia do not emerge safely by twelve, barricades the door and waits. In a furious battle with the police and the militia, Dosia's uncle and Dr. Protheroe are killed and the house set ablaze, but Ford and Dosia escape, leaping from the roof into a fire net below. All danger passed, Ford and Dosia become engaged.
- The old fisherman had two sons. Ben was a strong, finely developed fellow, but Ned, his hunchbacked brother, never envied him, until both fell in love with Mary Cresswood, and she chose Ben. With the birth of Ben's and Mary's child, however, the enmity between the brothers ceased. Not long after this, Ben becomes infatuated with a gypsy and agrees to join her camp. Ned, with the help of his father, gets Ben out on the open sea in a small boat, hoping thus to imprison him until the gypsies shall have gone. A storm comes up, and in a quarrel which ensues, the boat is overturned and Ned is swept away. Ben reaches a point of rock where his brother is clinging, but the deformed boy has only a few moments left to live. Before he dies he wins Ben's promise to be faithful to his wife and child.
- 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.
- Margaret, the pretty schoolmistress, and Joe, taking a "post" at the nearby college, are sweethearts. Margaret's little sister, Mildred, and Joe's brother Paul are likewise devoted, until the tragic day that Paul lifts Mildred's beloved bunny by the ears, and then all is over. Unfortunately Joe sees the new school principal escorting Margaret home, and the quarrel that ensues leaves Joe in possession of the ring that lately adorned Margaret's finger. Mildred and Paul, heart-sick over the broken engagement, become friends and turn their combined efforts toward smoothing out the difficulties between Margaret and Joe. A comedy of errors follows that keeps everything lively for everybody until Paul is locked in the cloakroom by the teacher, just when, through the carelessness of the janitor, a fire starts in the cellar. Margaret's class responds to the alarm and show the efficiency of the fire-drill. It is not until the arrival of the fire department that Mildred misses Paul. She dashes into the school to free her chum. In the meantime he has broken out of the cloak-room and is groping toward the door. Joe runs to the fire. He is told by the panic-stricken Margaret that both children are in the burning schoolhouse. Joe heroically rescues Paul and Mildred, who demand that he and Margaret "make-up," which the lovers wisely do.
- Hazel, a cashier in a restaurant, is engaged to Patsy, a bus driver. Patsy earns some extra money by going in on preliminary bouts at the Athletic Club pugilistic exhibitions, and gains a local reputation as a boxer. When a big fighter is suddenly taken ill on the eve of a public contest, Patsy substitutes, wins the match, and suddenly finds himself in line for a bout with the champion of the world. On receipt of an offer for a long tour, he gets a swelled head and repudiates Hazel, who is forced to go back to work in the restaurant. She plans to get even with Patsy. With her savings she hires a coming western fighter, who arrives in town, to clean up her faithless lover. This he does in great shape. When Patsy comes to, he sees Hazel and his victorious opponent strolling affectionately off together.
- Meg was one of the "painted women," who had got to the point where she did not care. Anita, her room-mate, on her death-bed told the cadet who managed them both about her old blind mother in another state who recently had come into a small fortune, and how she had kept hoping to go back home, but now it was too late. After the burial, the cadet told Meg that he had money in sight. She was to go with him and impersonate Anita. When she had won the confidence of the blind old woman, they would make a rich haul, and then go and live straight together. Anita's mother welcomed her long-lost daughter, as she supposed Meg to be, and everything that she had to give she showered upon this hardened woman of the underworld. Every night she would go to her bedside and her tears of joy burned into Meg's calloused heart. Delay on the girl's part angered the cadet. When Meg confessed to him that she could not bring herself to defraud the love-hungry old woman who called her "daughter," he threatened to expose her and give her over to the law. But a burglar, escaping from the police, ran across the cadet's path and the latter stopped the bullet. He was a stranger with an unsavory reputation. Nobody cared. And Meg heard the news with a deeper feeling than mere joy. Her past was dead. And there was the old blind mother to live for and love.
- 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.
- A woman with a notorious past enchants a student preparing for the foreign service.
- Sykes, an American engaged to a poor girl, goes to the Philippines as a teacher, and the girl stays behind to await their marriage. Sykes, after some time has passed, has succumbed to the tropic influences, and is living with a native girl, when one day he hears from the girl back home that she is coming to join him and that she will arrive at dawn next day. An aunt has died and left her a lot of money. Caring more for this coin that the girl, Sykes tries to get rid of the native girl, but she makes a row, and he in fear of losing his girl and her cash, poisons the native girl, who dies. He is about to get rid of the body when a young lieutenant of the U.S. Army shows up with his sergeant, inquiring the way to the trail of Indians, and becomes suspicious of Sykes' uneasiness and finds the dead girl. Sykes explains the circumstances and says: "What's another Filipino more or less?" He implies to the lieutenant that when he has been so long there as he has he'll understand better, and says that his United States girl was coming at dawn to marry him, so he had to get rid of his native girl. The officer indicates that he is up to some scheme and tells Sykes to take his sergeant and point out the trail for him, which he indicates starts at a certain large tree. Sykes goes, and, unseen by him the sergeant, at a nod from the lieutenant, takes a lariat from a nail and follows. The girl arrives and the sergeant returns, alone. The girl asks for Sykes and the lieutenant tells her he is dead.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Sierra Jim, wounded and desperate, flees from the sheriff and is given refuge in the cabin of a young girl, the sweetheart of the Pony Express rider. Jim thus escapes his pursuers and later plans the holdup of the Pony Express rider, which succeeds. Jim is about to distribute the spoils of his deed when he sees the photo of the express rider's sweetheart, which he recognizes as that of the girl who had saved him. He forces his pals to give up their share of the loot, returns it to the express rider, and begs for the photo of the girl; taking it, he rides away across the hills to a new and better life.
- Bob Taylor was a valuable man. Talbot, his employer, told Miriam as much, showing his daughter the good round sum which his new clerk had handed him that evening for a real estate deal he had made in Talbot's absence. It was after banking hours and Talbot slept with the money under his pillow. The next morning he went off in a tearing hurry and forgot the roll of bills. A transaction calling for ready cash, which came up the first thing at the office, reminded Talbot of the money. He sent Taylor with a note to Miriam, directing her where to find the sum and to deliver it to the clerk. He surmised that she would not object to making the young fellow's acquaintance. But the girl was out, and Taylor knowing his employer's need of the money, persuaded the maid to let him in and allow him to search for it. He was going quickly through Talbot's desk, when two desperate looking fellows, who evidently had overheard his conversation with the servant, made their entrance by a rear window. Taylor had the presence of mind not to try to get to the telephone. It was merely a question of which of them should find the money first. His movements became cooler, more rapid. But one of the crooks suddenly discovered the cash. Taylor rushed at him, and all three scuffled and struggled together. A moment later, a frightened-faced girl flashed into the room. She ran out again, and had managed to get Talbot's office on the phone before the men realized what she was about. One of the ruffians seized her, and Taylor, wresting the money from his other adversary, sprang to the girl's assistance. She darted from him, into the next room. He followed, securing the door against the thieves. Miriam snatched a revolver from a drawer and covered her father's clerk with the gun. Taylor found himself powerless against the crooks who were breaking down the door. Desperate as his situation was the young man laughed aloud. And then they heard Talbot's voice. Miriam burst the door open. Two stout policemen were collaring the thieves. Talbot exclaimed, "Taylor, praises be." The revolver slipped from her fingers. The next moment her hand lay in that of her victim.
- Meg and her father are mining in the desert and suddenly the old man discovers gold. Jimson, a prospector, and his pal see this and decide to jump the claim. This they do. leaving the old man dazed by the roadside while Meg is off after water, and drive away to record the claim in their own names. But Meg has returned unobserved and seen the whole affair. Climbing into the back of their wagon, she hides and is carted off with Jimson and the gold. Later she is discovered, is pursued and falls over a cliff, being rescued by an old Indian and his squaw. Recovering she tells the Indian of the claim jumpers and he follows and recovers the gold and kills one of the thieves and wounds the other. Restoring the gold to Meg, he helps her find her father again and the latter in gratitude repays the old Indian with a share in the rich mine discovered.
- An artist falls for a society girl, only to be shot by her jealous suitor. The artist's sweetheart intervenes and saves his life.
- Jess was a waif, she just came into the camp one day. Nancy, of the "dance hall," saw marks of coming beauty in the child and befriended her and guarded her closely. After three years of Nancy's care and training, Jess was graceful and pretty and had been so carefully watched that she was a stranger almost in camp. Nancy decides to have her enter the "dance hall," and to that effect makes a trade with Mike Finney, the proprietor. Jess is brought to the "hall" to dance just after Ralph West had come into the camp and entered the "hall." He, a stranger, sits apart not interested until Nancy appears with the unwilling Jess. Struck by the girl's timidity and modesty, so unlike the other dance hall girls, he watches closely as she dances with her castanets. When the floor is cleared he sees her shrink from the rude applause, and appear even more frightened when a miner. Barry, by name, draws her to a table and orders drinks. She searches the crowd for one kindly, understanding face, sees Ralph West, and mutely appeals for help. He instantly arises. Seeking the proprietor, he demands the reason of the girl's presence. Blustering Mike Finney tells him she is Nancy's protégé. West offers to buy her release, and finally does, after agreeing to pay double the sum Finney paid Nancy. West comes in time to save Jess from insult. Barry is knocked down, and Jess passes out of the hall forever, for under the guidance of the rector, whom they meet on the street, Jess finds a home with Katie O'Brian, the stage driver's wife. Ralph West stakes out a claim and befriends Jess in many ways, besides teaching her to read. Jess grows to love Ralph. Jess tries to tell her fortune with cards; the fortune is not good. As she gathers up the cards she remembers that she had heard that a fortune told with cards in the middle of a new bridge at midnight will come true. Jess resolves to go that night to the new bridge and try her luck. She goes, and sorts the cards. She is the queen of hearts, the "prospector" the king of hearts. The cards are dealt, she strikes a match and looks; the ten of spades is between the king and queen of hearts. A shadow falls on her face, slowly she picks up the cards, and goes on her way towards home. Hearing voices, she steps to one side and hides while the miner, Barry and another man approach and pause near her place of concealment. Jess hears them plan to kill West next day. Frightened, she makes her way home. Next day she warns Ralph West, who laughs at her fears. Yet alarmed for his safety, unseen watches near him. She sees Barry approach stealthily, and in her attempt to save Ralph West, Jess received the bullet intended for him. Ralph shoots Barry and tenderly lifts the wounded girl. She is carried home. The wound is fatal. The rector prays and Katie O'Brian weeps while Ralph West supports the dying girl. Jess takes the three cards from her bosom; the queen of hearts and ten of spades are bullet marked, blood stained, the king untouched. She tells them the ten of spades meant death for one of them; he had a mother waiting for him, that she didn't count; she was "nobody's child." She asks Ralph to kiss her, points upward, smiles, and is gone.
- The country boy, despite the advice of a fellow-townsman, goes to the city, where, after an encounter with a motion picture holdup man, is engaged as property boy in a studio. His fellow-townsman comes to the city when he learns that his wife, from whom he has become estranged, is dying. After his wife's death the countryman falls in with his wife's worthless brother and attempts to rob the house where the country boy is living. The landlord's daughter, who has been a kind friend to the country boy, calls for help when she sees the two men trying to make off with money which her father has entrusted to her. The country boy saves the girl from the tramps, and secures the release of his fellow-townsman, who promises to lead a better life in future.
- Nettie is beloved by all the boys in the mining camp. Magoon, a big, jovial miner, loves her most of all, however, and asks her to become his wife. Nettie is in love with Colter, a young Easterner, and though it pains her to do so, tells Magoon of the fact. Magoon leaves town to become sheriff of the adjoining county. A murder is committed in the mining camp, and Colter is unjustly accused. Nettie rescues him from jail and sends him to Magoon. The sheriff with admirable self-sacrifice hides his rival, and, when the posse arrives, points out what Nettie has done for the boys of the mining camp. Colter is released, and all the boys escort him back to Nettie.
- "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.
- 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.
- Mae, an Eastern girl, engaged to Ned, is told she has consumption and not long to live. She breaks her engagement with him, telling him the reason and against his protestations that he will marry her anyway goes west to live on advice of her doctor. There she meets Jim, who falls in love with her and asks her to marry him. She refuses, telling him about her precarious health and also that she has broken one engagement on account of it. Jim is miserable about it and goes away. Later Mae suddenly discovers that she has not consumption at all and goes back to Ned, only to find that he has been married for some time. She returns to the mountains and finds happiness with Jim.
- Dorothy, flighty little country girl, dissatisfied with humdrum country life. longs for the gaiety of the cities. She meets a man from city on vacation; he makes cavalier love to her. She is interested and becomes infatuated. Mother warns her against him and begs her to be contented in country life. Dorothy is petulant. She lies in a hammock under the trees, and wishes the city man would come and take her away from the life she hates. Dorothy falls asleep in the hammock. The city man appears and finds her asleep. He kisses her awake and makes more violent love to her. He urges her to flee with him to the city by recounting the pleasures he can give her. He promises they will be married. She agrees to go, gets her things together and they start. Arriving at the city he takes her to a boarding house and pretends to arrange marriage in the morning. Then the fake marriage and his subsequent tiring of her and finally the desertion and her discovery that it was all a false marriage. Her heart breaks and she tries to find work, but all in vain. Suicide seems her only hope, but she is urged by a kindly landlady to return home to mother. This she does, but her mother refuses to receive her and she is turned away. Going to a small bridge over a stream or lake, she prays and starts to jump in, but the scene fades out and into her falling out of the hammock. Scared to death she jumps up crying. The city man appears through the trees and accosts her, but she shrinks from him in horror and runs to her mother and cries on her shoulder, resolving never to disobey her or be discontented again.
- Sunbeam's father is sent to prison, and on his release promises to remain honest. He secures a job as a night watchman, but his prison record being discovered, he is fired, and finds it impossible to secure work. Sunbeam gets a job in a a family as a "slavey" in order to support the father and herself, but her father chafes at the idea of his daughter working, although he does not know what her job is nor where. In desperation, he decides to turn crook again, and breaks into the house where his daughter is working. She discovers him, but allows him to escape, and tells her employers it was only a cat which had made the noise which brought them to the scene of the disturbance. Returning home later she finally forgives her father his lapse since it was for her, and they are happy again.
- Abigail, the pretty daughter of a village school teacher, and Jared Guild are lovers. Bertha comes from the city to visit in the little town. Her charms prove too strong for Jared, who neglects Abigail to dance attendance upon the new belle. The country girl is broken-hearted, though she hides her sorrow from her erstwhile sweetheart. A wealthy young planter, however, soon cuts out Jared with Bertha. Young Guild recognizes the city girl's mercenary motive, and he and Abigail are happily reunited.
- Laura Bell runs away from her country home to the city, where she becomes a clerk in a department store. Her brother, Frank, follows her to New York, but is unable to place her. He becomes interested in a settlement house and obtains a position in social service work. Mary Ashton, daughter of the proprietor of the store where Laura works, is shocked to find that her father pays his clerks starvation wages. Matters are brought to a head when Mary rescues Laura, who drops to the street with exhaustion due to ill nourishment. Taking her home in her motor car, Mary sees for herself how the girl is forced to live. She pleads with her father to better his employees' condition. But he stubbornly refuses. Mary leaves her luxurious home to become a working girl herself, and weeks later, her father discovers her in a shirtwaist factory. Meanwhile, she has met Frank Bell at the settlement house. Their interests are identical. One day Laura's landlady comes to the settlement with word that Laura is dying. Mary and Bell both go to see her, and thus the latter discovers that she is his own sister. Bell compels Ashton, at the point of a gun, to go to Laura's bedside. The doctor says that blood infusion alone will save the girl's life. Her brother's heart so weak, but Mary to recompense for her father's sins, volunteers, unknown to him. After the operation, he learns that she is in a critical state and may die. The criminality of his methods is now brought home to Ashton. In gratitude for his daughter's recovery, he changes his policy toward his employees.
- Left motherless at seventeen, Mary Fuller stepped into her mother's place as not only the head, but support of the family. Her father married beneath him and had been disowned by his aristocratic family. The woman brought up her daughter with but one idea: that father's happiness was to be always the first consideration. The scion of aristocracy paid this devotion by sinking to depth after depth of ignominy until at the time of his wife's death his entire existence was spent in a drinking place. As the girl grew older, while never regardless of the injunction in her mother's Bible, to "Honor Thy Father," she could not but bitterly gaze at times when her father sprawled in drunken stupor upon his couch as she forced her weary little fingers to fasten her shabby cloak about her as she made ready for another day's toil. John Hollister, a rising young attorney, finds himself looking into the eyes of the first girl that ever cost him a second thought. Her fiancé's introduction to her father took place under circumstances so terrible that the girl felt only one thing could be done, return Jack his ring and freedom and then once more wearily take up the burden of her former life, but Fortune again throws a careless trick upon the table and out of misery and tears Mary rises to her lover's heart.
- Old Colonel Potter had distinguished himself in 1812, and his son Dick was made a lieutenant fighting for the Confederacy. One July noon in '63, worn out with hard riding, Dick dropped from his horse at his father's house. He carried important dispatches, he said, but could not resist stopping off a few hours to see his wife, Nancy, and get a rest. Nancy urged him to stay all night, but the Colonel sternly reminded the young officer that he must put his country before his happiness and Dick went that evening somewhat reluctantly, to saddle his horse. Meanwhile Nancy had let the animal loose, and despairing of being able to find the horse in the darkness, Dick gave in to her entreaties to stay. Early next morning, a courier rode up with the news that a battle fought at dawn had been lost, because Lieutenant Potter had not reached camp with the dispatches. Ignorant that his son was still under his roof the father hotly declared that he must have been killed, as otherwise a Potter would never have failed in his duty to his country. The courier rode on to trace the missing officer, and a few minutes later, the Colonel discovered his son on the point of continuing on his mission. Sick with shame, yet unflinching, he told the young man that it was too late, that he had disgraced the family name and his country. Then leading him to his room, Col. Potter took down his revolver and laying it silently before Dick, left him. The lieutenant took farewell of his wife as though he were going on his journey. Out of sight of the house, he drew rein. Then, through the still morning air, a shot rang out. The father found his son's body five minutes after he fell. He cleaned and reloaded the revolver, placed it in Dick's belt, and simulating evidence that the young officer had been surprised and attacked, stole sorrowfully away. A little later, the courier was stooping over the dead lieutenant. "Died like a soldier," he muttered.
- 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.
- Harry is a wild youth; he drinks a bit and gambles. His father is wealthy and tries to curb the boy, but is unable to. His ward, a girl of fifteen, too young to really love, but who greatly admires Harry. He, being older, is very condescending; she, mutely adoring. One day after a debauch, Harry quarrels with his father, and much to the sorrow of the ward and his father, runs away. Some years pass with no word from Harry. The ward, now grown, loves Harry deeply and repels the advances of a young swain of the neighborhood. The father finally dies, leaving a will in favor of Harry, provided he returns within a certain time. In case he does not appear within that time the money goes to the ward. On the last day of grace Harry turns up from his wanderings, very shabby, very much in love with the memory of the ward, and still swaggering as of old, in spite of his shabby, almost ragged clothes. He learns of the will and its conditions. He sees the ward and is madly in love with the girl, the promise of whose beauty as a child is now more than fulfilled in womanhood. He sees (as he mistakenly thinks) her lover kissing her hand, and is angered. He wants her himself, as well as the fortune. However, he keeps his presence a secret. He is ragged, unkempt, unfit for such a girl. The old swaggering manner sloughs off and he goes away, leaving his father's ward to the fortune she deserves and to the prospects of a worthier marriage.
- Laura, a wealthy young girl tired of her aimless life, runs away to the country to live an active, natural life on a farm. Henry, a rich young clubman as blasé as she, seeks the same village where she has taken refuge, and the two fall in love and are married. She believes Henry to be a poor clerk, and returning to the city they set up housekeeping in a small apartment. One day Henry finds her trying on a pearl necklace, and his suspicions are aroused. She disarms him by telling him they are paste, but not long after this the jewels are stolen, and when Henry traces them to a pawnshop he learns from the pawnbroker that they are worth $100,000. Meanwhile, Laura has discovered in Henry's bureau a diamond-studded watch. She begins to think that she has married a burglar. But when next they meet, and each accuses the other, husband and wife mutually confess.
- The will of old Dr. Andrews left the bulk of his property to his niece, Mary, who was an orphan living in a distant mining town. The small balance of his wealth went to a married nephew, John, who had been practicing medicine with him and was now made the executor of his estate, but who felt that he should have been made the sole heir. It fell to John to seek out Mary and bring her to her inheritance. John and his wife went to the mining town and found Mary working in the hotel, where she had been employed since her father's death. The three started back to the city, accompanied by the Indian guide. On the way they came to a stop for rest near a high cliff overlooking the desert. Mary was attracted by the beauty of the view and stood on the cliff with John's wife nearby. John came behind them unperceived except by his wife. He could reach out his hand and touch Mary. A slight shove would send her over. A look of intelligence passed between husband and wife and a moment after Mary fell to the rocks far below. They went down and picked her up. and she was apparently dead. They wrapped her body in a blanket and buried her in a shallow grave in the sand. Then they went on to the next settlement and taking the affidavit of the guide to the effect that the death of Mary had been accidental, they returned to the city, where John claimed the entire inheritance. Meanwhile, Bob Turner, a young miner living alone with his mother in a cabin, passing the grave noticed a strange movement of the earth. He investigated and found that Mary was just recovering consciousness. He carried her to his mother's cabin and they nursed her back to health, but her memory was gone. Bob was college bred and his mother was with him for her health. The two decided that Mary must be taken to a doctor. So they set out across the desert for the city with Mary, who had now come to love Bob. In the city they stopped at a cheap hotel and sought a doctor, who agreed to operate, but he must have assistance. He called in Dr. John. When John saw Mary his terror was complete, but when he found that she did not know him he regained his composure. He proposed the next day for the operation at his own office. It was agreed and he left the office, hastening home to his wife, to whom he told the news. They agreed that he must risk anything to render the operation abortive. His sudden terror had been noticed by Bob, who inquired of the first doctor who John was. The doctor told him, relating the matter of the inheritance from old Dr. Andrews. The truth dawned on Bob and he told of his finding Mary buried alive. The doctor agreed to help him trap John. The next day found a third doctor present to assist in the operation and a detective posing as a waiting patient. The patient was placed in the chair and John was about to operate when the first doctor interposed and the third doctor proceeded to operate. John was forced to watch the result with his wife, while the detective watched both of them that they should not escape. The operation successful, Mary's memory slowly came back. She recognized John, and her first words were, "He shoved me over the cliff." The arrest of John and wife followed as they were escaping, and as an aftermath we see Bob and Mary happily married.