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- Thornton Darcy, an idealistic poet, is at work upon an allegorical poem which he calls "Virtue." He devotes the first part of it to picturing the idyllic state of the earth prior to the advent of evil in which Virtue is the world's guiding spirit. Virtue is represented by a nude female figure, artlessly adorned with filmy drapery. In the second part he introduces the Greek myth of Pandora, who releases Evil on the world. Finishing his work for the day, Darcy falls into a light doze and upon awakening discovers that his dream girl, Virtue, has come to life in the person of a young woman clad in a simple homemade dress kneeling on the bank of the stream gathering flowers. They become acquainted and he learns that her name is Purity Worth, and that she lives near the woods in a humble secluded home. She makes an instant appeal to Darcy as he does to her and they repeat the meeting in the woods, with the result that they fall in love and are engaged, in spite of the fact that there is no immediate prospect of marriage, owing to Darcy'e reduced circumstances. Darcy is unable to sell his poems, and the publisher will not print them for less than five hundred dollars. Claude Lamarque, a painter, strolling in the woods, sees Purity bathing in a stream. He later succeeds in meeting Purity and makes her an offer to pose for him. She refuses, but accepts his card. Purity receives word from Darcy that he is ill in bed and begging her to come with him. His final effort to publish his book of poems has met with refusal. Unselfishly seeking t aid him, she goes to Lamarque, secures five hundred dollars in advance with a promise to repay him by posing for him, and earning money from other artists, and at once turns the money over to the publisher to bring out Darcy's book. She binds the publisher to secrecy. Darcy is confined to his bed with a siege of illness, and is only saved from death by the happy turn. Purity guards from him the secret of her share in it. In the meantime, she poses regularly for Lamarque. Through his interest in her he secures an engagement for her to pose in imitation of marble statuary at a fete given by a fashionable young widow, Judith Lure. No sooner is Darcy's book published than it excites instant attention and praise, and he becomes the lion of the hour. In the meantime, Luston Black, an acquaintance of Lamarque, having caught a glimpse of Purity posing for the artist, has become infatuated with her. He assumes that because of her position as a model he will have an easy conquest. But Purity, despite her innocence, sense his base motives and spurns him. Darcy, accepting an invitation to visit Lamarque, comes into the studio while Black is pressing his attentions upon Purity. He thrashes Black, who taunts the poet with the fact that his fiancée is posing in the nude. Darcy will not believe it. Purity acknowledges the truth. Darcy will not listen to Purity's explanations and casts her off. A short time later the poet sees Lamarque's finished picture of "Virtue." Darcy is quick to read the great truth that the picture is intended to convey and upon learning that Purity was the instrument through which his poems were published, hastens to her. They are happily reunited.
- Bessie received a note from Uncle Dan along with a pony and was more than delighted with the handsome gift. Her sweetheart, Bill Walters, grew quite peeved at the way in which Bessie forgot him for her horse. Some days later Bessie's father, the sheriff, received a note that horse thieves were operating in his vicinity. He notified Bessie to watch carefully over her new pony and Bessie alert to the possibility, promptly rode to town to obtain a strong lock for the barn. She returned and banded it to Bill, asking him to attach it. But Bessie had been overseen by the horse thieves, who promptly laid plans to capture the horse. Bill, receiving the lock from Bessie, tucked it in his pocket and went into the corral to brood over her lack of interest in him. That night Bessie's horse was stolen. Bill, conscience-stricken, went to her father the sheriff and at his request was made a deputy. Then Bill started for the border. The following day he crossed into Mexico and was present at a horse sale. He recognized Bessie's horse and bought it, tendering a check in payment. This the bandit refused to cash. Then Bill, having arranged with the local sheriff to have a strong posse on the American side of the border, asked him (the bandit) to come across to the American bank where he would cash the check. This the bandit agreed to do. On the American side, Bill pulled his gun and a bandit was caught, but only for just one moment. The secret band of thieves, lying close by, rushed upon the American. A fast fight and a long chase followed before the thieves were finally rounded up.
- Mr. Joseph Close, ranch man, with his wife and daughter, visit the town for supplies. The daughter makes a hit with the storekeeper and it is with difficulty that the ranch man induces his daughter to leave. They return home, and the ranch man finds a letter in his mail box from Wm. Schrider, Attorney-at-Law, informing him that his brother is dead, and has left the sum of three million dollars to his daughter, on condition that she produce an official certificate of her marriage one month from the date of her uncle's death. He hurries to the house with the glad information, and his wife rejoices with him. They call Estella, and are astounded when she refuses to get married. The ranch man offers his cowboys one thousand dollars each if they will help him. He suggests that they go to town and kidnap a handsome man and also abduct his daughter. Accordingly, some of the boys are detailed to abduct the daughter, others to kidnap the handsome storekeeper, and the ranch man himself goes after a justice of the peace. The daughter is secured with little difficulty, but Arthur White puts up a strenuous fight before he is tied up. Leaving their captives bound and blindfolded, the cowboys repair to the opposite side of the barn for a friendly game of cards. Arthur succeeds in freeing himself and is very much surprised to find his fellow victim is the girl that has captivated his fancy. They mount a horse and ride away. The cowboys discover that their captives have escaped and start in pursuit. The ranchman arrives at the barn with the justice, to whom he has offered a fat fee to perform the marriage ceremony. He is surprised to find everyone gone. Estelle tells Arthur of the letter her father received. Arthur suggests that they go back and get married. Returning to the barn, they replace the ropes, and blindfolding themselves, they await the return of their captors. The ranchman meets the returning cowboys, who tell him their captives got away. They return to the barn, and are surprised to find their prisoners bound and blindfolded as they were when first captured. The justice then performs the marriage ceremony and everyone is happy.
- Lillian Randolph, the daughter of an old New England family, has two suitors for her hand, Arthur Neville and Chester Hawley. Neville (the favored one), is addicted to the use of liquor, and is frequently seen under its baleful influence. The other one (Hawley), while of excellent character, is finally rejected in favor of Neville. Smarting under the sting. Hawley devotes his time to spying upon Neville, who, despite his sacred promise to reform, still continues in his downward course, after his marriage to Lillian. While on a prolonged debauch, Neville is seen by Hawley, helplessly intoxicated in a public resort. He sends a letter to Lillian, apprising her of the fact, and telling her where her unfortunate husband can be found. Lillian hastily dons a wrap and goes in search of him. She is seen pleading with her husband to return with her to their home and little child, when Hawley comes into the scene and brutally reproaches her with rejecting him in favor of such a drunken, worthless wretch. Neville, in his half-crazed condition through his long debauch, sees his old rival sneeringly calling his wife's attention to his helpless condition. He draws a revolver from his pocket, rushes from the scene, in pursuit of Hawley, who has tauntingly left the place. He follows him to his home, bursts into the library, revolver in hand, only to be met by three burglars, who are at work looting the home of Hawley. As he appears through the door, he is seized, chloroformed and placed upon the floor. The burglars again resume their work, when another interruption comes. Hawley appears upon the scene. He discovers the intruders at work upon his safe, interrupts them, and is shot with the revolver, which was taken from Neville's hand and placed upon a table. Neville recovers consciousness, finds the body of his rival, sees his own revolver on the table and imagining he did it, rushes from the scene. In a fit or remorse, he seeks his wife, tells her of the murder of Hawley, and flees from justice. He seeks a refuge in the Far West, and after suffering untold agony and remorse for five years, he accumulates a large fortune through mining interests he has acquired. He returns to the East, under an assumed name, institutes a search for his wife and child, whom he finds living in abject poverty and about to be dispossessed by the very man who committed the murder, which he believed himself guilty of. An accident brings him in contact with on of the trio of burglars, who are engaged in the looting of Hawley's safe, and an accidental kindness to the man causes the latter to relent, and he tells the story of Hawley's murder, and discloses the rendezvous of the crooks. His wife and child have been rescued from their direful poverty, and are transformer to Neville's home with every luxury money can purchase. Neville is taken to the crooks' rendezvous, where the principal offender, the murderer of Hawley, confesses his part in the crime. He is arrested, and Neville is reunited at last with his wife, child, and his old family retainer, James, the servant, who has remained loyal through all their trouble and misery.
- John Gordon, owner of vast wheat fields, finds his labors awarded by a bumper crop, and decides to increase the scope of his activities. He visits James Hastings, a Chicago broker, and from Hastings buys an area of land adjoining his own. While on his business mission in Chicago, Gordon meets with Jean, who is Hastings' daughter, and at once is struck with the beauty and demure sweetness of the girl, Gordon returns to the west, where he finds Philip Leland, an English ne'er-do-well, son of wealthy parents, who has drifted from bad to worse. He gives Leland employment in his wheat fields. James Hastings, Jean's father, plunges heavily in wheat hoping to execute a coupe. He loses all and in depths of despair, he ends his life with a bullet. Jean is left alone on the world, and Gordon, learning of her father's untimely end, hastens to Chicago to comfort the girl. The two become friends. At length Gordon proposes, and Jean accepts. She returns with Gordon to a lonely life of the wheat fields. The months wear on. Leland, whom Gordon has befriended, falls deeply in love with his employer's bride. Gordon, intent on the work he has to do, unconsciously neglects his bride, and Leland with persistent effort is finding a way into Jean's heart, Gordon comes upon them one day riding together in the fields, and for the first time he realizes that Jean is finding a life apart from him. Jealousy shakes Gordon and he goes to Leland with the intention of killing him. Leland, however, flaunts in his face the declaration that he (Leland) has won the love that Gordon never possessed. Thunderstruck, Gordon declares that Jean herself shall choose between the two. The two confront her, and tearfully she throws herself into the arms of her husband. Leland is astonished. Then comes an Indian squaw carrying a papoose. She is Leland's lawful wife. Leland flees, and the burdened squaw follows him. From then on fortune smiles on Gordon. Gordon is financially able to give Jean her heart's desire, but her heart's desire has changed, and finds its fulfillment in his arms, and in the fields of waving wheat she has learned to love. Leland, the ne'er-do-well, returns to the lotus-eating life of the squawman, a life which he had left when Gordon had first crossed his path.
- Paul Harvard, who is the son of a wealthy Northerner, is invited for an indefinite stay to the Carolina Pines. Arriving at the Pines, he meets Judge Bulstring, who commissions Dr. Sterling Duke to show the young fellow about, and find him a place to live among the mountaineers. Paul forms the acquaintance of Grace Wilson, and the two are mutually attracted. Another young Northerner arrives on the scene. He is a Federal agent who has come to investigate the fact that there has been much counterfeiting and moonshining. This newcomer is Wilbur Grant, and during the weeks of his stay he simulates drunkenness in order that he may better work himself into the confidence of those whom he suspects. Grant quickly takes up with one Richard Quigg, who professes to deal in real estate, and he actually does hold a mortgage over Magnolia Hall, the name of the Wilson home. This mortgage is fast coming due and Grace is frantic at her inability to raise funds to meet the debt. Quigg offers to cancel the mortgage if Miss Wilson will consent to become his wife. Grace refuses and orders Quigg from the house. Young Harvard takes up his residence in the mountains with the Tollivers. Caroline Tolliver becomes one of his acquaintances. Paul oversees the girl admiring a frock which an itinerant Jew has offered for sale. Paul gives the girl the money and she makes her coveted purchase. The act is overseen and becomes food for gossip. It develops that Caroline has been secretly married to Richard Quigg and that an interesting event is soon to transpire. Jack Tolliver, Caroline's brother, becomes furious when his sister's condition is learned. She will not reveal the name of the man, and as gossip has linked Caroline's name with that of young Harvard, Jack at once assumes that he is the guilty one. The scene shifts to the mountains, where the moonshiners are at work. Within the shack that houses the illicit still are Richard Quigg, Jack Tolliver and others. With the men, too, are Caroline Tolliver and her mother. Outside it is pouring rain. There comes a knock on the door. It is Paul Harvard. He is roughly handled, but manages to hold his own. In an apparently drunken condition, Wilbur Grant enters. He is pushed carelessly to one side, and at length is locked in an unused chamber. A bolt of lightning strikes nearby. A huge dam bursts and the loosened waters bear down upon the moonshiners' abode. All escape miraculously, and Harvard, casting aside personal enmity, effects the rescue of Jack Tolliver. The Tollivers learn that Paul is not responsible for Caroline's condition. Jack and his sister come, shamefaced, to the house to publicly declare the young man's innocence. Meanwhile, the mortgage has fallen due on Magnolia Hall. Richard Quigg has come to collect. Paul Harvard seeks to buy over the head of Quigg. His check is refused, for the document stipulates cash is to be paid. The hands of the clock creep toward the appointed hour as Paul gallops away over the hills to the nearest bank. He obtains the cash and arrives barely in time. All are astounded however, when Quigg overbids the young millionaire. The multitude is plunged into gloom; then Wilbur Grant takes a hand in the affair. Tipping the wink to men who secretly are his aids, he jumps in and arrests Quigg in the name of the Federal Government. The fellow is branded as a counterfeiter and moonshiner and submits to shackles on his wrists. Amid waving of hands and dances of joy, Magnolia Hall is sold to Paul Harvard, who promptly presents it to the wide-eyed young girl, Grace Wilson, who stands at his side. The two gaze in each other's eyes. Harvard's strong arms encompass the girl, and all is happy ever after.
- Loulie, suddenly impoverished, becomes Mrs. Hazard's social secretary, her chief duties being to separate Mrs. Hazard's son and daughter from undesirable matrimonial choices they have made. Loulie pleases everyone, but several mysterious thefts cast suspicion on her. These thefts are finally traced to Winthrop, the young author engaged to Miss Hazard. He denies them, but is chased by the authorities in his motorboat. Meanwhile, Hap has transferred his affections from Natalie, who is older than he, to Loulie. Loulie hears a noise at night and goes downstairs in her kimona. She surprises some picture thieves at work, is overpowered and kidnapped. Hap goes to her rescue, but is injured. The chase becomes very exciting. Loulie is locked in a deserted house, but shoots at the guard through the door and escapes only to faint on the beach, where Hap discovers and rescues her. Back in the house Thomas, the new footman, discovers the Duc de Trouville and a gang of thieves at work cutting the paintings from their frames. The Duc and Thomas fight. The new footman, who turns out to be a detective, is saved by the party returning with Loulie. It is now made clear that Mrs. Cutler, a guest in the house, belongs to the gang and by a trick fastened guilt on Winthrop who is restored to favor. Loulie accents Hap.
- John Montgomery, young, rich and of fine family, is eagerly sought after by the elite of old San Francisco. He and Ellie Fenwick meet for a moment at a hall, and are mutually attracted. Montgomery's impulsiveness and generosity cause him to fall an easy prey to Willie Felton, leader of a fast set, who introduces the young man to Martin Rood's gambling house. Rood, seeing in Montgomery a lamb to be shorn, quickly fleeces him of a large part of his fortune and then persuades him to invest the rest in a bogus mining deal. The young San Franciscan finds himself penniless. Meanwhile, he has met Carlotta Valencia, mistress of Rood, who develops for Montgomery the first real affection she has ever felt for any man. He is infatuated with her beauty and cleverness, and when he begins to hear evil stories against her, he stoutly defends this Spanish woman of doubtful arts. Montgomery's own reputation is sullied because of his associates, and only Ellie Fenwick continues to have faith in his inherent nobility. She believes Montgomery more sinned against than sinning. Her father, however, will not permit her to have anything to do with the man she loves. Montgomery, denied the companionship of the one woman who might have redeemed him, turns for consolation to Carlotta. One morning early, Ellie is returning from the market to prepare a birthday breakfast for her father. Passing Rood's gambling house, she hears a pistol shot. Through the swinging doors of the bar-room, the proprietor of the resort falls out dead. Montgomery, with a smoking revolver in his hand, leaps out after him, and the next instant, flinging away the weapon, has fled. Ellie, panic-stricken, hurries home, where she tells her father and District Attorney Dingley what she has seen. Nobody else has witnessed the incident, and Ellie, violently against her own will, is obliged to serve as chief witness for the state. Carlotta lures the girl to her house and tries to bribe her into silence. When this fails, she attempts to induce her to drink a cup of poisoned wine. Ellie, however, is on her guard. Her father has made her feel that it is her duty to God and to society to testify against the man she loves. Montgomery is convicted of the murder. As he is leaving the courthouse a band of Mexican horsemen, hirelings of Carlotta, enact his rescue. He and the Spanish woman plot to flee the country together. A chance meeting with Ellie, however, causes Montgomery to resolve to leave the city alone and start life over again. He writes Carlotta his intention. Ellie is driving him in her carriage to the borders of the town when both are arrested by the sheriff's posse. The girl flees, taking refuge in Carlotta's house. She finds the beautiful Spaniard sitting erect in a chair, dead. A written confession in her own hand reveals that it was she who murdered Rood. Later, Perez, Carlotta's servant, corroborates the story, throwing light on Montgomery's heroism in shielding the guilty woman. Montgomery is exonerated. He begins life anew, with Ellie as his wife.
- Bill Brawley, a longshoreman represents the dockworkers in contract talks with their unscrupulous boss, Manson Kenwick, who tells his own sister, Norma, to take Bill's mind off negotiations. Meanwhile, the workers prepare for the waterfront boxing championships. They urge Bill to participate, but when he refuses because he promised Norma that he would not fight, they believe that he has sold out to management. Even Bill's sweetheart, Fen, now afraid of losing him to Norma, cannot convince him to box. On fight night, Bill attends a party at Kenwick's. He learns that Kenwick has persuaded the men to sign a pro-management agreement and also that the fighter for the Kenwick shipyard is injured. Bill rushes to the ring, wins the fight, forces Kenwick into a fairer agreement and tells Fen that he never stopped loving her.
- John Douglas, a high-society playboy, is a cynic concerning the women of his social set, and has a pictured ideal of the girl of his dreams. Wising to avoid the upcoming social season, he hops a freighter bound for the Orient. It sinks in mid-ocean and he, as the sole survivor, is washed upon a island, where he is rescued by Nia, daughter of the tribal chief, Neto.John is puzzled as all of the tribe are white people, but he learns from the tribal chief they are descendent's of English-origin who also are on the island because of a ship wreck a few hundred years ago. John soon arouses the jealousy of Kaura, the tribal sub-chief who wants Nia as his bride, but Nia wants nothing to do with Nia, and favors John. Kaura demand that Nia become his bride, but John Rescues her and they head for the jungle, with Kaura and his henchmen in hot pursuit. The pursuit only lasts until a storm comes up and Kuara is killed by a bolt of lightning, and his followers take that as a sign the Gods aren't in favor of the pursuit. John and Nia take up residence in the Tribal Priest's jungle cave, after the Tribal Chief performs a marriage ceremony. They are quite happy and content, especially Nia who likes to play the harp John made for her. But a yacht appears on the horizon, and John struggles with a decision as to light a signal fire and be taken back to civilization.
- When a young bride, newly entered into society, discovers she is pregnant, she consults an old friend on the most effective means of abortion. The friend gives her a potent drug, and that night the woman locks herself in her room, presses the potion bottle to her lips, falls across her bed and begins to dream. In her dream, her husband finds out about her abortion and demands a divorce. Years pass and the woman, now decrepit and alone, is visited by the ghost of her "Child-That-Might-Have-Been." The ghost takes her on a spiritual journey where she sees her husband, who is remarried and happy with his own family, hundreds of smiling babies wrapped in flowers in Babyland, and finally her own death and damnation. At her demise, she wakes from her nightmare, joyful to find the drug untouched, and rushes to tell her husband about her impending motherhood.
- In a cabin high on Twilight Mountain lives old Louis Dorchet and his daughter Clotilde. Their only friend is big, honest Jacques Lennaux, the trapper, who has watched Clotilde grow from childhood to womanhood and has come to love her. One day near a deserted camp Clotilde finds a picture. It is a copy of Watt's "Sir Galahad." She takes it home with her, but neither Jacques nor her father can tell her who the beautiful youth is. She pins it to the wall of the cabin. Near the Dorchet cabin is a high rock which Clotilde has named the place where the sun sets, and she makes a daily pilgrimage there to bid the sun good-bye. Dorchet falls ill and on his bed calls Jacques to him, "Jacques, my friend, marry my little Clotilde that you may care for her." After the marriage the old man dies. Several months later Jacques leaves Clotilde alone while he goes to the settlement to sell his furs. Two strangers come to Twilight, camping out, Dick Kenton and his friend Jim Martin. Clotilde sees Dick standing beside his horse as it drinks, and his pose is the pose of the man in the picture. He rides off without seeing her. The next day Jim meets her and attempts to kiss her. Dick rescues her and Jim slinks off. Dick and Clotilde become friends. She shows him the picture and he tells her that it is Galahad. She wants to know who that is and he takes from his pocket a copy of Sir Thomas Mallory's "Le Morte D'Arthur." And when she saw Sir Galahad ride, she said, "God be with the best knight in the world." Clotilde clasps her hands, "That's you, you," she cries. He gives her the book. When he returns to his camp Jim has gone, leaving a note to the effect that should he stay they would surely come to blows over the "alluring Dryad." Jim makes him way to the settlement. Jacques at the settlement has come upon Pedro, a half-breed, unmercifully beating his pony and has promptly given Pedro a sound thrashing in consequence. Jacques then enters the "hotel." Jim appears on the scene. In the bar he tells of Dick's conquest back on Twilight, a highly-colored account. Jacques fells him to the floor and strides out. He starts back home in his canoe. Jim bribes the willing Pedro to kill Jacques. Pedro makes a short cut on his horse and conceals himself at the spot on the stream where he knows Jacques will land. He springs upon Jacques. Dick and Clotilde have come to love each other, though they have not voiced their love. Dick finds Jacques unconscious. He starts to assist him when the name on the handle of Jacques' hunting knife tells him who the man is that he is befriending. He starts to go away but his better nature asserts itself and he takes Jacques home. Clotilde tells Jacques when he recovers that he owes his life to Dick. Jacques broods over his wrong. He feels that the two young people love each other and, though his code of honor will not let him kill the man who saved his life, he determines to kill Clotilde rather than let her dishonor herself. Dick and Clotilde meet, he makes love to her but she tells him that to her he is Galahad and not to spoil her belief in him. She writes him a note later and slips out of the cabin with it. Jacques follows, his hand on his knife. She leaves the note in the crotch of a fallen tree and Jacques reads it, "Leave Twilight. You and I must never see each other again, for I love you, but I will never desert Jacques, dear, good Jacques, who would die for me." The note and the words, "Who would die for me," have a strange effect on Jacques. He decides what he will do. He leaves a note on Clotilde's pillow, "My little Clotilde, I go to the place where the sun sets. I have a fancy to sleep beneath the stars. Should you wake and miss me, you will find me there, Jacques." At dawn the next morning. Dick, who is leaving Twilight, feeling it the honorable thing to do, comes upon Jacques lying at the foot of the great rock. He is still alive. Dick is horrified. Jacques begs, "Be good to my little Clotilde," and he promises. Clotilde finds them there. Jacques lies like a gentleman he is, and says that he accidentally fell. He dies in her arms. Dick takes the sobbing girl to his breast.
- "Damaged Goods" pictures the terrible consequences of vice and the physical ruin that follows the abuse of moral law. It is a stirring plea for a pure life before marriage, in order to make impossible the transmission of unhealthy hereditary traits to future generations.
- Tom Haley, an old miner en route for the gold fields, with his daughter Gertrude, is lost in the Bad Lands, stumbling along in the arid waste, crazed with thirst and enfeebled by his long exposure to the pitiless heat, he gives up the struggle and dies. Gertrude drops to her knees beside her father, and attempts to resuscitate him with a few drops of water left in the canteen, and then, as the full realization of her loss comes to her, she swoons over his dead body. Jack Porter, a young cowboy from the Circle C ranch, looking for strays, finds the miner's hat, and following the freshly-made tracks of the pack burro, comes upon the unconscious girl beside her dead father. Tenderly he lifts her in his arms and, finding she is still alive, he restores her to consciousness. Taking the miner's pick and shovel from the pack, he digs a grave and consigns the miner's body to its last resting place. Leading the grief-stricken girl to his horse, he takes her to the ranch to be cared for by the ranchman's wife. Gertrude soon becomes the pride of the ranch, and the boys all pay her homage. Jack Prter is her favorite, and they spend many happy hours together, and soon find that their friendship has ripened into love. Jack comes to her one day and offers her a book which he has purchased for her. Having lived in a mining town all her young life, Gertrude has never attended school and cannot read. Jack is astounded and determines to send her to an eastern school. Counting his little horde of money, he finds that he has enough to pay for her tuition and expenses while away. Seeking the ranchman's wife he tells her of his plan and that he desired her to act for him, without allowing Gertrude to know that he is interested. Gertrude is overjoyed at the prospect of going away, and informs Jack that she is going to school to learn to read to him. A year later she returns to the ranch with the manners of the east and is misunderstood. Jack feels that the polished young lady returned from the school is not the little prairie waif of a year ago, and that she cannot love him, a rough cowboy. He leaves a note, telling her he is going away to the Bad Lands and try to forget. Taking his few belongings, he leaves the ranch. Underneath her polish Gertrude is still a true woman, and she follows her lover, finding him exhausted beside her father's grave. She leads him back, and seeking their favorite spot she reads to him and he finds that love and happiness are his at last.
- Elise Burleigh is the daughter of a designing mother, who plans to marry her to a wealthy husband. Oliver Strong is a stock broker who has fought his way up the ladder of success by pure grit. At her coming out party, Elise meets Strong, resulting in love at first sight on both sides. They quickly become engaged much to Mrs. Burleigh's satisfaction. A short time later, Strong is completely wiped out in a financial conspiracy headed by an unscrupulous operator, Addison Grey. The loss is a body blow to Strong, and his misfortune gives secret pleasure to his financial enemy. Addison Grey. To add to Strong's troubles. Mrs. Burleigh induces Elise to cancel her engagement to Strong and return him his ring, because of his changed financial fortunes. Strong, broken in spirit, and seeking to get away from civilization for a period, goes into the Sierras. There he meets an old Uncle Jerry, an eccentric character, who has reason to believe there is a thick vein of virgin gold in old Eagle Canyon. Becoming friendly they search for the vein together, living in a rough cabin. About this time Addison Grey becomes the matrimonial target of Mrs. Burleigh and she soon contrives an engagement between Grey and her daughter, Elise. Grey invites Mrs. Burleigh and Elise to accompany him on a trip to his hunting lodge in the Sierras, and while there Elise again meets Strong through a picturesque and romantic incident. She is led to declare her love for Strong, but the surroundings are so sordid that she cannot bring herself to give up her life of luxury to share his camp life. She bids him an affectionate farewell and goes back to her intended husband, Grey. In the meantime, Strong has discovered the wonderful ledge of virgin gold and is destined to fabulous wealth, a fact which he withholds from Elise to test her love for him. A forest fire in which Grey shows the white feather and Strong is absolutely fearless and in which Elise plainly tells Grey she is fighting for Strong's home and her own too, results in a permanent reunion and the entire discomfiture of Grey.
- The fugitive was reported in the vicinity and the sheriff, after a hasty call on his sweetheart, gathered his posse and gave hot pursuit. Over the mountains they galloped madly, the fugitive running almost in a circle. In front of the cabin sat Grace Merriwell, the sheriff's sweetheart, when suddenly before her stood the hunted one. Instantly she recognized her brother and secreted him in the house. The sheriff, tracking his man unfailingly, stopped at the cabin. He entered and the excited girl made known her brother's presence in the house. The sheriff hesitated. It was love or duty and the sheriff chose love. Taking the fugitive by the hand he made him secrete himself in another room. The posse entered and all felt satisfied with the sheriff's word but Higgins. He, suspicious, went from room to room and with lightning-like rapidity the hunted man changed his hiding place. When they had all gone, the sheriff bowed his head. Taking the star from his breast he threw it on the table for he knew that his day was over. Between love and duty he had chose love.
- Two men playing cards, the argument, flash of a revolver, and one lay dead. The murderer homeward fled, hurried his little girl baby into a west-bound train and was heard of no more. The years passed and boyish Jim Conway grew to manhood with the sole purpose of seeking out his father's murderer to deal justice to him. He went West and was one day, lost in the mountains. He called for help and help came in the form of a sweet-faced woman who led him to her home. He spent the following weeks with her and the aged father, learned to love the mountain nymph for her beauty of soul and fair face. One day she asked him his reasons for being in the hill country, and he, lover-like confided his secret. Behind the door, sat the white-haired father. He rose, shook himself like a leaf as he invited the young man into the house. And there he confessed the deed, baring his chest for the expected blow. But none fell for love had sweetened the poison of his thought.
- The Sheriff of Kickup Gulch had long been enamored of the beautiful daughter of the hotel keeper and his suit was progressing favorably when an eastern drummer appeared in the Gulch and started paying marked attentions to the hotel-keeper's daughter. She was very favorably impressed and, finding it difficult to choose between the two after their simultaneous proposal, decided to give them a test of bravery in order to win her hand. The test consisted of thrusting an arm in a rattlesnake's hole and the drummer became panic stricken, for he knew that it meant almost certain death to obey the request. The Sheriff, however, knowing that rattlesnakes always avoid tobacco, sprinkled the hole with tobacco from his pouch and thrust in his arm with impunity. Of course the lady chose the sheriff and left the crestfallen drummer to think it over. Left to his own devices he discovers the trick played by the wily sheriff, and determines to even up the score. He effects an entrance to the general store and substitutes iron filings for the stock of giant powder. The next day he appears at the store and makes a purchase of several pounds of his substituted giant powder. Returning to the hotel he creates a panic by spreading his powder on a paper and sitting beside it with a lighted cigar in his mouth. The frightened spectators send for the sheriff to subdue the mad man, and he now appears with his fiancé, gun in hand, to arrest the drummer. The drummer calmly lights a match and orders, "Drop that gun or I'll drop this match," which he holds at close proximity to his fake powder. The sheriff is panic stricken and turns in ignominious flight, leaving his fiancé to her fate. The fate in store for her however, is a complete revulsion of feeling and she decides that eastern wit is better than cheap heroics.
- George and Charles Wendell find they both love Clara Palmer and she is not disposed to show favor to either. To set their minds at rest they ask her to choose between them. Frivolous and shallow, with no desire to lose the attentions of either man, she tells them both to seek a fortune for her and she promises to marry the most successful. Charles, the younger brother, realized that punching cattle is a very slow method of accumulating wealth and starts for the mountains to try his hand at mining. George remains at the ranch and wins favor with the fickle maiden. Charles, in his quest in the mountains, becomes injured and is succored by an old miner, known as the "Hermit of the Hills." The hermit takes him to his cave and tenderly nurses him back to health and strength. The old hermit has accumulated a fortune in gold ore and Charles discovers its hiding place. Filled only with thoughts of Clara and her promise, Charles assaults his benefactor unawares, and, leaving him for dead, returns to the ranch with the hermit's gold. Clara transfers her favor from George to Charles, when he shows her the gold he has stolen from the hermit. George knows that Charles could never have mined the great fortune he claims to have acquired in the short time he has been away, and accuses him of theft. Charles denies it and is upheld by Clara. Charles at last acknowledges his guilt and agrees to return the gold. Together the brothers go to the hermit's cave in the mountains to find that the blow inflicted by Charles has made the hermit insane. Charles returns the gold and goes back to the ranch, leaving George to care for the poor demented man. George cares for the hermit until his death and in gratitude for his kindness the old hermit leaves the gold to him. Charles on his return to the ranch goes to Clara, whose sympathy was with him when George compelled him to return the gold, but now meets only with her scorn and he at last realizes that his crime has availed him nothing. Clara determines to go to George, and starts for the hermit's cave alone. She comes upon George seated near the cave and pleads her love. George, who has learned her shallow nature, gives her that which she seeks, the gold that has made his brother a criminal and encompassed the hermit's death. Taking the one remaining sack he throws it in a shower on the hermit's grave and returns to civilization unsullied by the curse of gold.
- At a remote army fort in the desert, Alice Corbett--a widow with a small daughter--makes money by doing laundry and cooking for the soldiers. Sgt. Barnes, a scout at the post, gradually falls in love with her. One night at a party for the commanding officer, Col. Sears, Barnes sees Dr. Deschamps, the post physician, making a pass at Mrs. Sears. The next day he spots the two riding together, and later confronts Deschamps, demanding that he resign his commission or be exposed for his attempt to seduce the colonel's wife. Deshamps has no intention of resigning, and together with half-breed Unitah, who hates Barnes for beating him in a fight, comes up with a plan to get rid of Barnes without the crime being traced back to him.
- After inheriting his grandfather's estate, John Wright rides through a wooded area and sees Martha Hobbs struggling with Ralph, the man whom her heartless father wants her to marry. John beats Ralph and returns Martha to her shabby home. After Martha's mother dies, Martha goes to the city and is befriended by an aged woman. When Wright, investigating his inherited property, finds the women living in a squalid tenement, he builds the Wright Industrial Home, an ideal community-oriented workplace. After Wright hears Greta Carr lecture about ancient Greek life, he convinces Carr to create with him a modern Grecian colony on his estate. The villagers are shocked by the colony's scantily clad dancers. Learning that Martha lives there, Ralph leads a mob to destroy the house. John catches Ralph setting off dynamite and after knocking him out, warns everyone to leave. After the explosion, the mob sobers upon finding Ralph's body. Now tolerated, the colony constructs new buildings, and John and Martha marry.
- George Mason, part owner of a small ranch in Wyoming, rustles cattle, a practice unknown to the employees, with the exception of Jack Beeman, the foreman. Jack is given a message for George Mason, which he delivers. Mason reads it and throws it down on the ground, which is picked up by his wife, who is shocked at reading: "A ranger is in town looking for cattle. Go slow, Bill." George Mason, finding an unbranded calf, brands it. His wife sees this and is satisfied he is a thief. When he returns, she liberates the calf, forgetting that it will seek its mother. Mrs. Mason accuses her husband and tells him what she has done. He then hurries to tell his partner. The wife tells Jack Beeman her story. Jack tells her the ranger must not see the calf, and starts out to re-brand the calf when he is caught in the act by the ranger. Jack immediately fells him and informs Mason's wife what he has done. Meanwhile, Mason and his partner quarrel, in which Mason kills the other. He tries to make his escape, but is overtaken and shot. Jack Beeman is then made prisoner. But Mrs. Mason explains that he tried to protect her honor, and he is released.
- Prior to his marriage it behooves every man to destroy mementos of his cast-off loves, else they become ghosts of his future life. Bagley sits before the open fire in his apartments, and in burning the souvenirs of former days, has visions of each of the charmers. A series of dissolves ends with the showing of his flirtation with Lois Valerie in a brilliant café, followed by the enactment of the story portraying her inroads on the heart of young Bagley. Realizing her motive, Bagley, Sr. buys her off for $20,000. After his first fit of anger at what he considers an intrusion on the part of his father, the younger man appreciates the wisdom of the act, and goes west to his father's ranch to think it over and begin over. His meeting with Flora Donner, the daughter of a rancher, soon ripens into love. The young people are married and live in New York. On tango night at Bagley's club, his wife discovers, to her sorrow, the duplicity and artificiality of both men and women of New York's high society. Through an innocent indiscretion, she is estranged from her husband and is victimized and imprisoned by society vultures who thrive on family discord. Finally succeeding in getting word of her imprisonment to her repentant husband, he rescues her. They go directly to the station, pausing only long enough to dispatch a letter to his father, telling him that they are going back to the ranch; that the city with its lusts and riches spells nothing but misery and ruin for them.
- Young Bettina Warren inherits a construction camp. She brings along her lawyer, Walter Daniels, to inspect the camp and to run it until Bettina gets married. However, Daniels' heavy-handed management style--which included firing popular and experienced foreman Herb "Overalls" Drew and replacing him with inexperienced and roughneck alcoholic Buck Savage and his cronies--results in tensions boiling up in the crew, who wants Savage thrown out and "Overalls" brought back, a sentiment shared by Bettina because she has fallen in love with him. Daniels, however, is determined to do things his way. Complications ensue.
- The citizens of San Juan County are very much aroused by the repeated depredations of a gang of cattle rustlers. Posse after posse, led by the sheriff, followed the rustlers into the mountains, but the outlaws always managed to elude their pursuers. Charley Walton surprises the rustlers in the act of running off his stock and opens fire. One of the rustlers turns in his saddle and fires point blank at Walton, killing him instantly. Shortly after, Maud Walton, his daughter, accompanied by her lover, Jack Beemis, riding along the boundary, comes upon the ranchman's lifeless body. The distracted daughter kneels beside her dead father and her lover, deeply distressed by her grief, swears to track down the men who committed this crime and bring them to justice. The rustler who fired the fatal shot, rides to a secluded spot, and removing his false beard, and pinning on a star, transforms himself into the sheriff. When Jack arrives in town to notify the sheriff of this fresh depredation he finds him delivering a harangue to the boys about the rustlers, and insisting that if they will only follow him he will round the outlaws up. Jack leads the sheriff and the posse to the scene of the recent crime, and shows the sheriff the trail as indicated by the trampled grass and hoofmarks of the cattle. The sheriff disregards Jack's advice, claiming that it is a rustler's trick to disguise their real trail, and he leads the posse in the opposite direction, toward the timber land. Jack becomes suspicious of him, and when their search ends in failure, he determines to play a lone hand and locate the rustlers himself. He calls at his sweetheart's home, and obtaining her father's gun, he starts for the mountain country, riding along alert and watchful, he sees a man disappear into a secluded glen. Dismounting, he approaches carefully, and sees the sheriff disguising himself into the outlaw. Following him, he sees him join the gang and obtain his share of the booty. The sheriff plans a raid on the Bar X cattle, but his followers are afraid to attempt the job. He laughs contemptuously, and assures them that there is nothing to fear, as he himself will lead the pursuit. Jack quietly steals away, and riding to town, ho notifies the boys of what he has seen and heard. They plan to ambush the rustlers and capture them if possible. The surprise is complete and the rustlers badly defeated. The wily sheriff escapes and the cowboys pursue him to the mountains. Up the steep and rocky mountainside he runs, followed by the cowboys, now on foot. They lose track of him entirely, but continue their search, knowing that he cannot be far away. They are startled by a rumbling sound, and looking up, they see an enormous rock come rolling down the slope. When all is quiet they rush up to find the rustler pinioned beneath the tons of rock. Jack Beemis steps up and removes the false beard, disclosing the face of the sheriff, and the cowboys turn away in awe, feeling that divine retribution has overtaken the evildoer.
- Cameo, a cowpuncher, is the favored suitor for the hand of Col. Houston's daughter, Hope, On an errand to the town be incurs the enmity of Hawkins, a bad man who is beating Paecha, a little squaw and his common-law wife, A shooting scrape is averted by the quick action of the friends of the two men. Hawkins, the secret captain of a band of cattle rustlers, is in the saloon planning a raid on a herd of cattle. Cameo, taking pity on Paecha takes her safely home. While riding the open country Cameo stumbles on to the cattle rustlers and rides to Col. Houston's roundup to sound the warning. Upon his arrival he learns from the Colonel that Hawkins, who enjoys the confidence of the cattle men, has accompanied Hope to the House Ranch. He becomes uneasy and rides for the ranch house at full speed. He arrives just in time to surprise Hawkins making love to Hope. Insane with rage for being again crossed by Cameo, the two men watch each other warily. Hawkins pretending to depart succeeds in wounding Cameo in the hand. Hope beseeches Cameo for his own good not to kill Hawkins, and he is allowed to go unharmed. Realizing the game is up, Hawkins hurries off to his men to warn them to drive the cattle out of the country. In the meantime, the whole country has been aroused and with Cameo and Col. Houston at the head of a band of doughty cowboys, surprises the thieves and drives them on to a cliff. Hawkins makes his escape and to throw his pursuers off the track, doubles back to the ranch house. Love's instinct causes Cameo uneasiness for the safety of Hope alone at the ranch house and after taking an active part in the posse, rides ahead to the ranch house. He falls into a trap laid by Hawkins. Paecha, the little squaw, inspired by love for Hawkins, has dogged his footsteps in order to wield a protecting influence upon him, discovers the love Hawkins bears for Hope. The revelation arouses jealousy in her and she arrives at the ranch house just in time to see him on the verge of killing Cameo, the man who was kind to her. A shot rings out in the darkness and Hawkins falls lifeless. Hope rushes to Cameo and Paecha comes into the ranch house and tells of her deed and then departs, heartbroken.
- Rich, who is somewhat of a grouch, refuses to accompany his pretty young wife to a card party. Being a "spunky" little woman, Jane goes by herself. Left alone for the evening, Rich determines to make her sorry and hatches a scheme. Summoning Wise, his friend, he obtains his assistance. Rich goes to his wife's room, and removes the contents of her jewel case. He then gets Wise to securely bind and gag him. His scheme is to make Jane believe, on her return, that a thief had rendered him helpless. Wise goes home and foolishly confides the joke to his wife. Mrs. Wise secretly sends Jane a note, informing her of the trick. Highly elated, Jane shows the note to her friends and hastens home. Meanwhile, "Second Story" Ike, a burglar, looks in and discovers Rich gagged and helpless. Entering, he relieves him of all of his possessions, including Jane's jewels, which Rich has placed in his pocket. Delighted over the easy haul, Ike then starts out to ransack the house. While he is thus engaged, Jane comes home and proceeds to torture poor Rich, who is utterly helpless. She tickles him nearly to death. Finally she shows him Mrs. Wise's note and for punishment, decides to leave him tied up for the night. Poor Rich struggles frantically at his bonds, but owing to the gags in his mouth, is unable to tell Jane of the robbery. She bids him "good-night" and goes to her room highly amused. Entering she is horrified to discover a man in the closet and nearly faints. Slamming the door shut, she locks him in and summons a cop. Ike is dragged off to jail and when Rich gets the gag out of his mouth he solemnly swears never again to indulge in a practical joke.
- Episode 1: Dr. Ralph Burke, a scientist and inventor, perfects an apparatus enabling submarine craft to remain underwater indefinitely without relying wholly upon compressed air stored in the boat. The discovery is perfected at the opening of the story and has been offered to the United States government. Lieut. Jarvis Hope. U.S.N., is dispatched to witness a practical demonstration of the invention. Arriving in the city where Dr. Burke lives, Lieut. Hope meets an old acquaintance. Hook Barnacle, whose life he once saved. Hook had his right hand bitten off by a shark, and an iron hook being substituted gained for him the odd sobriquet. Hook escorts the lieutenant to the Burke home and relates to Cleo, the doctor's "daughter," how his life had been saved by the young naval officer. Cleo and Hope become mutually interested. Hook is much given to talking and it is not long before the entire village knows the reason for Lieut. Hope's visit. Among those who learn the news are Sextus, a Russian, and Satsuma, a Jap, working under the orders of one Mahlin. The following day is set for the demonstration. Satsuma watching his chance has secreted himself aboard the submarine. Olga Ivanoff, head of the Russian bureau in this country, receives a visit from Sextus, who is commanded by her to obtain the secret of the submarine. Meantime Calvin Montgomery, a wealthy lobbyist, upon advices from influential friends at Washington, sends his nephew, Gerald Morton, an unprincipled rounder, to obtain the secret. Gerald is suspicious of his uncle's interest in Cleo Burke, but fails to learn anything definite before he leaves to see the inventor. On board the submarine the apparatus is being manipulated satisfactorily and Lieut. Hope is much impressed. The party repairs to the salon for lunch, affording opportunity for Satsuma to crawl stealthily from his hiding place. The Jap is examining the mechanism of the invention when he is surprised by Dr. Burke, who gives the alarm. Sailors rush in to overpower the Jap but he is desperate. Shots are fired, one of which disables the Burke apparatus. Satsuma throws over the lever opening the conning tower trap, leaps up the ladder, gains the top and dives off into the sea as the boat quickly sinking is almost lost to view. The water pours down through the open trap. The air machine is broken and with the boat uncontrollable, the inventor and his party battle for life in the watery darkness.
- After becoming Adam Keating's partner in a ranching venture, Walt Landis hopes to become his son-in-law as well. Adam's daughter Helen, however, has different ideas, and marries the dissipated Fred Sherwood. Tired of his solitary rancher's life, a disappointed Walt then marries Rose McKee after answering the lonely-hearts letter that she placed in a box of collars. Meanwhile, Adam grows weary of Fred's chronic laziness, and so, hoping that the change of scenery will prove therapeutic, he sends Fred and Helen to Walt's ranch. Thrown together, Fred and Rose soon fall in love, while Helen, bored with her shiftless husband, starts a flirtation with Walt. Then, Rose and Fred get caught in quicksand, and for a moment Walt and Helen, seeing their chance to get married, consider letting them die. They finally rescue them, however, after which Helen and Fred return to Adam's ranch, while Walt and Rose continue their loveless marriage.
- Lord Loveland in England is besieged by his creditors and consults his mother as to what he should do. He is advised to go to America and marry an heiress. He plans to sail on a certain ship, but at the eleventh hour changes his plans and departs on another vessel without informing his relatives of the change. Meanwhile, In England, his valet, annoyed at not having been paid a year's wages, impersonates Lord Loveland. At New York's most expensive hotel Lord Loveland discovers he has but forty cents in his pocket. He goes to bank and presents his letter of credit, but the bank determines that he is a bogus Lord and will not honor the draft. Disgusted, Lord Loveland returns to his hotel, where he finds he has no credit. He is ejected and his baggage is held in lieu of the bills he has already accumulated at the hostelry. Lord Loveland is alone in a strange world and with forty cents in his pocket. He applies to a friend for aid, but the friend, thinking the card presented is that of the bogus Lord Loveland. refuses to even see the visitor. Disheartened and disgusted, the nobleman betakes himself to Central Park, where through the thrilling rescue by Lord Loveland of a mongrel puppy, he forms a fast friendship with one Bill Willing, a likable old man out of work. Willing takes Lord Loveland to a cheap hotel where his forty cents is more than sufficient to procure two beds. In the morning he takes the English peer to a restaurant where in payment for meals, Willing draws artistic signs which advertise the day's tempting viands at Alex's restaurant. Lord Loveland, attired in evening clothes and monocle, has no trouble in getting employment as a waiter. He hopes thus to earn sufficient funds to pay his passage back to the dear old British Isles, but Tony Kidd, an enterprising New York reporter, learns of the monocled waiter and writes a story for his paper. Crowds come daily to Alex's restaurant to be waited on by this unique garcon. Among them is Leslie Dearmer, a woman playwright with whom Lord Loveland had become acquainted on shipboard. There is an explosion in the kitchen and the guests flee panic-stricken from Alex's restaurant. Lord Loveland becomes a hero when he extinguishes the blaze and causes the guests to return to their tables. Later, he loses his job through the apparent affection he has for Izzy, who is Alex's daughter. He takes up with a 10-20-30-cent troupe of theatrical players with whom he plays minor parts. Miss Dearmer seeks out the manager of Lord Loveland's troupe, intending to sue that individual for the use of one of her copyrighted plays. She calls and is surprised when her gaze meets that of the British nobleman. To her, the Lord relates his plight and she engages him as her chauffeur. The nobleman falls head over heels in love with his fair employer. The two are out for a spin when the Englishman summons up courage and declares his love. So ardent does he become in his proposal that he fails to heed the path his automobile is taking. The machine leaves the road, crashes into a tree and both occupants are thrown violently from their seats. When consciousness returns, Miss Dearmer is in Lord Loveland's arms, and the two plight their troth. The tide of Lord Loveland's fortunes have turned, By a combination of circumstances, he becomes recognized as the real Lord Loveland and he is restored to the position which is rightfully his. Henceforth, all is love and happiness and the nobleman has no desire again to see dear old Britain's shores.
- Brian Leonard is a millionaire whose sole occupation is the amassing of wealth. He is cold, hard, and the element of love has been almost extinguished. In this environment, his motherless, loveless daughter, Bona, grew up to womanhood. Ursula, Leonard's mistress, inveigles him into marriage, and when he learns that she is playing fast and loose with his affections, he makes a will in which he leaves the major portion of his estate to Bona, and bequeaths an income upon Ursula. Learning of this, Ursula plans to gain possession of his estate in the event of his death, and to further her ends she endeavors to bring about the marriage of her son, Neal, and Bona. But Bona detests Neal. Then Ursula recalls a remark of Leonard's that should Bona ever bring disgrace upon his name, he would disown her. She conspires with Caleb Giles, a society idler, to affect Bona's ruin. When she begs him to marry her, he refuses. Bona confesses to Ursula and Neal is persuaded to again ask her to marry him. Believing Neal's love to be sincere. Bona agrees. Shortly before the wedding Neal is killed in a gambling row. Disgrace now seems inevitable and Bona determines to commit suicide. She goes to the wharf, but is prevented in her purpose by the Reverend Lewis Dunstan, who takes her to her father. When Leonard hears her story he disowns her. Rev. Dunstan denounces him for his heartlessness, but this results only in his being forced to resign his pastorate. Dunstan takes Bona to his home, where she is cared for by his mother. The child dies and Bona enters settlement work. Giles, a fugitive from justice for the murder of Neal, enters the settlement home one day, in a dying condition. On his deathbed he sends for Ursula and Leonard and confesses the conspiracy. Bona is forgiven and both Leonard and Ursula see the folly of their pursuit of wealth. They begin anew to live for love, and it is obvious that Bona and Dunstan will eventually marry.
- Cater Clifton, an able young writer, walking along the beach, comes upon a young man about to commit suicide. Clifton prevails upon the young fellow to go with him to his home. In Clifton's library the young man pours out his story. He has been spurned by the girl he loves. Life is no longer worth living and hence his attempt to end an unhappy existence. Clifton listens as the young man talks and then he in turn tells a story. Madge Morton, a clever and accomplished young woman, is bored with her doctor husband, who is utterly engrossed in his work. Clifton had loved her when she was a girl. He comes back and Madge tells him of her unhappiness and its cause. Dr. Morton's young cousin, Alan James, is beset with heart trouble. He comes to the home of Dr. Morton in search of health. He becomes infatuated with Madge, though younger than she. The Mortons go to their place by the sea and Madge and the boy are thrown more and more together. Alan makes love to Madge and implores her to flee with him. She refuses, though refusal is hard, but she invites Clifton to come and visit them, and for Alan she invites Celia, whose girlish sweetness Madge thinks Alan soon will capitulate. Celia falls in love with Clifton, who has given his heart long ago to the unsuspecting Madge. Alan, as was expected, promptly falls in love with Celia. His heart gives way and he is forced to take to his bed. He asks that Celia read to him. She does so and he proposes marriage. Celia cowers back, covers her face and sobs out her refusal. The excitement is too much for Alan, whose weak heart cannot stand the strain. He gasps for breath and falls back, dead. Clifton finishes his story with a vision of the characters: the woman, bored and unhappy; the man, lonely and sad; the girl, sobbing her heart out in secret; the lover, dead. Only Peter, the man who put work first in his life, has found content. The young man thanks Clifton for the story and departs declaring that all his energies henceforth will be devoted to work. Clifton, as the young man leaves, smiles whimsically. The door of his study opens and in comes Celia. The long sleeve of her negligee gown sweeps from its stand, the vase with which Clifton had toyed as he talked to the would-be suicide. She stoops to pick up the fragments, a rueful expression on her face. Clifton stops her. "Don't bother, dear. You've broken my Tragic Circle about which I've been inventing a woeful story for the good of a lovesick young man."
- William Lambert and George Goodrich were business partners and love rivals for the hand of Anne Cortell. When Anne accepted Lambert and they were married, Goodrich's jealousy knew no bounds. A few years into the marriage Anne dies, leaving Lambert a widower and single father of their daughter Helen. In passing Lambert's house, Goodrich sees him leave for a Shriners' meeting, his child left in the maid's care, and sees a chance for revenge. He steals the child and goes West. Returning from the Shriners meeting, Lambert is heartbroken over his child's mysterious disappearance. Meanwhile, Goodrich, posing as Helen's father, becomes ill and is visited by Mission workers, one of whom pities the child and adopts her. Later, Goodrich tries to prevail on the woman to give the child back to him. Her love for the child has grown and rather than part with her, she tries to buy him off and pays him a sum of money. This opens to Goodrich a new field of usefulness for the child: better to let her live with the kind woman while he collects the toll. 10 years later, Goodrich is still imposing his toll on the woman, whose love for the girl is so great that she pays Goodrich the money he demands. Helen, now grown to young-womanhood, enters a hospital as a trained nurse and meets a young doctor. He falls in love with her and presses his suit, but she refuses him, giving no reason. One afternoon, while the doctor is at the house pleading with Helen to marry him, her foster-mother comes out of the house and he asks for her permission, which is refused, she answering that there is no objection. Goodrich appears and beckoning to Helen, tries to secure from her more money. She, frightened, gives it to him and tries to hurry him off. He goes, but the doctor has seen, and so upon Helen's return, when he questions her, she tells him the story. He tries to overcome her objection by saying that he loves her for herself alone, but she still refuses. Lambert, after all these years of grieving for his daughter, has found no means of consolation except through devotion to the Shrine. He embarks for Santa Barbara to attend the convention of the Shriners on their "Hands around the State" tour. While attending the festivities, he is overcome by the heat. The young doctor, Helen's lover, who is also a Shriner, is the first at his side, and has him taken to the hospital, where he is placed under the care of Helen. Later, Lambert now convalescing, is being wheeled by the young doctor and Helen through the grounds. Lambert recognizes his former partner and rival even through all the lines of age and dissipation, and asks the girl who he is. She tells him that it is her father. Looking into her face, he sees there the likeness between this girl and his dead wife, and the whole magnitude of Goodrich's scheme appalls him. He takes his daughter in his arms and he tells her the story. Later, Goodrich has been disposed of by due process of law, and Helen, the young doctor and her real father, make a pretty picture as they happily piece together the story which has made up their lives.
- Tom and Mabel were sweethearts, but Tom did not seem to get on in a business way, so Mabel started him for the West. Tom blew in his little stake before leaving, and arrived out West broke and discouraged. There he fell in with two crooks and with them laid plans to hold up the pay wagon of the construction camp. Meanwhile, a hobo got off a freight and strolled to the camp in search of work. He needed only a chance to reform. He watched the men place a stick of dynamite and leave, and too late, saw Tom, crouched down in the danger zone, gun in hand, waiting for the pay wagon. There was a terrific explosion and Tom died. Hurrying to the scene, the hobo donned Tom's clothes and papers, secured work, took Tom's name and prospered. Worrying over the absence of her intended, Mabel and her father visited the construction camp. They asked for Tom and his namesake, now clean shaven, handsome and prosperous-looking, responded. There were explanations and a visit to the grave. "With him I buried my failures," said the other. In the days that followed, Mabel found she still wanted the name of Tom, and eventually married him.
- Joe Ellison, the young foreman of Lazy Ranch, finds the routine of ranch life rather irksome and seeing a matrimonial advertisement in an Eastern newspaper, he answers it. When the answer to him arrives, accompanied by a photograph of the lady, he is subjected to a great deal of chaffing by the boys, but accepts it all in a very good-natured way. The ranch cook essays some good advice, but the foreman is determined and sends for the lady. On the day of her expected arrival the foreman departs to meet the train and, during his absence, the boys prepare to give the bride and groom a rousing reception. With studious care a sign is made, "Welcome to Lazy Ranch," and enough rice is procured to feed a Chinese regiment. In the meantime Joe has met his correspondent. They are mutually pleased and, entering the buckboard, they drive to the office of the Justice of the Peace and are married. Driving home they are greeted by a shower of rice and the bride is established as the mistress of the ranch. The cook's wife had previously held this position and, feeling that the bride has usurped her rights, she starts to make things unpleasant for the Eastern girl. On the morning that Joe starts for the round-up things have become unbearable for the foreman's wife and she determines to return to her home. The cook finds her crying and learns of her homesickness and offers to drive her to the gulch where she can catch the Overland train. He is trying to comfort her, when his wife accidentally witnesses the little scene and misconstrues their actions for love. Her suspicions become a certainty, when the cook drives up with the buckboard and the foreman's wife, coming out of the ranch house, hands her a note addressed to Joe and then drives away with the cook. The cook's wife runs to the corral and, mounting her horse, rides rapidly to the round-up and, finding Joe, announces, "your wife ran away with my husband." Without waiting to hear more Joe starts in pursuit of the pair and, coming upon them by the roadside, he ropes the cook and his wife and ties them to a tree. Leaving them to whatever fate may have in store for them, he sets out for the round-up. He meets the cook's wife, who now delivers the note to him. Tearing it open he eagerly scans the page and learns the truth. He hastily returns to the tree, liberates his prisoners and tries to explain to his injured wife the cause of his jealousy. The cook is treated to a lecture from his wife's tongue, as she attacks him with both fists. The foreman's wife promise to forgive her husband if he will take her east, which he agrees to do and they renew their vows with a perfect understanding of each other.
- Harold Locke is a "trouble shooter" employed by a telephone company to keep its lines in order. He is sent by his "boss" to install a telephone extension in the room of Vera Strong, the pampered daughter of Milton Strong, millionaire. He is attracted by the fresh beauty of the girl, while she is impressed with the handsome vigor of the young lineman. It is Vera's birthday, and as a gift to his daughter Milton Strong purchases a high priced motor car. Jed King, who sells the car to Strong, is an auto salesman by day and an auto bandit by night. He decides that his patron shall also be his victim, and he and his gang lay plans accordingly. King volunteers to teach Vera to drive the car. She accepts his proffered services, and King drives to a secluded spot where, by prearranged plan, his fellow bandits pounce upon them. Vera is seized and is to be held for ransom. Locke is sent to locate a secret wire which long has baffled the telephone officials. It is a connection between Jed King's auto office and the rendezvous of the crooks. While searching for the connection, Locke is a witness to the kidnapping of Vera. He summons the police, then, single-handed, he flies to the girl's rescue. After a revolver fight in speeding autos, the bandits escape with the captured girl, Locke trails them to an abandoned shack, where he is overpowered, bound hand and foot and cast into an attic room with Vera, who also is bound by her captors. In a fit of wrath, King, the bandit leader, sets fire to the house. The bandits flee and Locke and Vera are left to a tortuous death in the flames. But the police arrive unexpectedly. The crooks are engaged in a hand-to-hand fight and eventually are overpowered. Then the burning house is entered. Locke and Vera emerge through the smoke and flame, he having been able to loosen the ropes and carry the half-conscious girl to safety. The adventures of the day are the start of romance. Friendship ripens into love. The young lineman proves his worth, and Vera becomes his wife. Before the two opens the rosy vista of a long and happy life together.
- Helen Brandon and her sister Dora are orphans in moderate circumstances. Dora is ordered to the seashore for a change of air, and while there is saved from drowning by David Keightly, whose father has disinherited him. David, after the rescue of Dora, becomes a member of the fishing fleet, and while in that capacity woos and wins Dora. He is summoned to the deathbed of his father. He inherits the old man's money, and returns to the seaside village. There he meets one Joe Badger, who, for interested motives, tells him that Dora has died and that the folks with whom she had been staying had gone abroad. David returns to the city, and in rescuing Helen, a Red Cross nurse, from the fury of a gang of ruffians is wounded and taken to the hospital. He is nursed back to health by Helen, and subsequently becomes engaged to marry her. Dora, who has unavailingly sought tidings of David, busies herself in the preparations for her sister's wedding. During all this time she and David, by a singular chain of incidents, have not met. On the eve of the marriage David discovers a broken cross which had been given him by Dora as a love pledge, and he determines to tell Helen of his courtship of the girl whom he believes to be dead. The story ended, Helen recognizes it as that of her own sister. Realizing that she holds the happiness of her sister and David in her hand, she decides to insure that happiness and accepts service with the Red Cross section which is under orders to start for the seat of war. David and Dora are brought together, the strange mistake of the past is explained and the noble sacrifice of sister Helen is understood and appreciated.
- John Robertson and his brother Fred, were fishermen and inseparable. Both loved the pretty Jennie Blair, but John, more bold, spoke his love and won her. They went to live in the home of the brothers, but hard luck came upon them for the sea refused to yield a living for the three. Fred, who loved in silence, tried to cheer them with hopes of the future, but John, growing morose and sad, departed suddenly one night to seek fortune elsewhere and return. In the moments of her extremity, Fred, loving her, spoke no words of himself. Faithfully he brought her the catch of the day and did his best, as a faithful friend, to keep her in food and shelter. But as the years rolled by and no word came from John, he grew bolder, spoke his love and the pair were wed. A child came to bless them and then, one night a bearded figure that was John, came to the little cabin and looked in through a window. What he saw shot a sudden pain into his heart for Fred and Jennie, serenely happy, were amusing themselves with the baby. Clutching a bag of money, John entered the house. They did not recognize the bearded fisherman of years ago, and he gave them a bag of money, saying, " I was John's friend, and before he died he bade me bring you this." Then turning to the door, he went out into the night and was seen no more.
- A hobo falls asleep by tracks and dreams of being a cowboy. He rescues a girl on a runaway buckboard and then is invited by the ranch hands to become their leader. He amazes them with his abilities to rope and ride and then is in the process of saving the girl from the burning house when the story shifts back to the sleeping bum while two boys find him and proceed to give him a hot seat.
- Judson Brand, a powder manufacturer, is approached by the envoys of two warring nations, but before entering into a contract with Baron Von Halstyn, envoy for Gravonia, he sends his son, Marshall, to investigate the country's financial condition. Burghoff, Sashofen's envoy, is advised of a blockade and instructed to halt shipments of munitions to the enemy. Both envoys try to enlist the help of Jan Bernheim, a clever political exile from Gravonia. Out of revenge, she promises to aid Burghoff, but patriotism prevails and she goes over to Von Halstyn, although pretending to remain in the employ of Burghoff. Elinor, Brand's daughter, is engaged to Fosdick, a humanitarian propagandist, who opposes Brand's mercenary attitude in furnishing munitions. Burghoff allies himself with Fosdick, and together they hope to control the vote of the congressional committee against furnishing munitions. The committee is divided in opinion and the deciding vote is with Hayes, the chairman who favors the non-participating policy. Brand quarrels with Fosdick about the issue and forces Elinor, in sympathy with Fosdick, to break her engagement, when Fosdick refuses to renounce his principle. Jan induces Burghoff to give Fosdick a check for a thousand dollars "for charitable purposes." Jan secures the canceled check which the unsuspecting Fosdick has accepted, for evidence against him, and when Von Halstyn urges her to win over Hayes to their side, she does so by showing him the check, which she makes him believe was accepted as a bribe from Burghoff. Burghoff refuses to accept defeat and proposes to Fosdick the blowing up of the powder mills, but Fosdick refuses to listen, so Burghoff undertakes it alone unknown even to Jan. Brand's son, traveling through the war zone, finds their Brandite shells being used by both sides, and is so absorbed in commercialism that he is untouched by the evidence of suffering about him. Fosdick saves the life of a child belonging to one o£ the men employed by Burghoff to blow up the mills. Brand receives a favorable report from his son and he and Von Halstyn ride over to the mill to sign up the contract, accompanied by Elinor and Jan. Fosdick, in Burghoff's office waiting for him, answers the telephone and learns of the plot to destroy the mills within an hour. He tries to reach Brand only to find that he and Elinor have gone to the mill. Fosdick drives to the mills, and through his efforts the plan only partially succeeds; no one is hurt but Mason, the man who was on the job. Fosdick is found trying to put out the fuse and is accused by Brand of attempting to blow up the mill. Mason, however, clears him when he recovers and Von Halstyn and Jan are arrested by a secret service man who has been trailing them. Brand stubbornly insists that Fosdick is to blame for it all and vows he will sign the contract away. Then the final argument presents itself, his beloved son has been killed by a Brandite shell. Later Von Halstyn and Jan are deported. Burghoff flees the country and Fosdick and Elinor are united. Brand turns from the manufacture of ammunition to Red Cross work.
- Jeb Foster persuades Capt. Rand's wife to elope with him and they take with them the little baby daughter. For a number of years Capt. Rand endeavors to find some trace of the runaway couple in order to get back the child. His search is fruitless and he finally retires to an island, where he lives the life of a recluse, his only associate being his faithful native servant, Pahui. Rand had never seen Foster, the latter having inflicted the wound which caused the loss of Rand's arm at the time he ran away with Rand's wife. Rand, however, retains a vivid picture of a tattooed arm thrust through his window at the time he was shot, and it is by this tattooing he hopes to identify Foster. Sixteen years elapse. Rand's daughter has grown to womanhood believing herself the daughter of Foster. She is known as Lillo, and as she has become an expert diver for pearls she is useful to Foster, who is the master of a pearl-fishing schooner. Her mother is dead. Ralph Holt, junior member of the firm of Holt and Son, pearl merchants of New York, goes to the South Seas to study the fisheries end of their business and purchase new stock, and he falls in with Foster, who invites Ralph to make an expedition with them with evil intent. Ralph falls under the spell of Lillo. Towards the end of the cruise, a typhoon overtakes the schooner and the party is wrecked. Foster makes his escape in a small boat with three of his crew, leaving Ralph and Lillo to their fate. They all land at Capt. Rand's island, Ralph and Lillo drifting in on some floating wreckage, and Rand takes care of the shipwrecked party. Foster immediately recognizes Capt. Rand as the man he had wronged, but seeing no sign of return recognition he feels secure. A steamer is due at the island the next day and the party is informed that they can take passage and return to civilization. Under a pretext of borrowing money, Foster learns that Rand has accumulated a tidy sum, and that night he comes to the house to attach it. Pahui, however, discovers him and he is forced to fight his way out. Just at this moment Rand enters and recognizes the tattooing on Foster's bared arm. He offers Foster an even fight for life, who tries to take advantage of Rand's infirmity and is killed by Pahui. The men of Foster's crew, in the meantime, have stolen rum and are almost insane from liquor. They threaten Lillo's safety. Ralph overpowers the men and takes Lillo to Rand's house for safety. Here they come upon the scene of Foster's death. Capt. Rand explains the situation and relates the incidents of his early life. In the telling he realizes that Lillo is his daughter. Ralph permits one steamer to pass and finally decides that in duty he must return to his father. Returning to New York, he finds his heart back in the islands with Lillo. Events transpire that make it necessary for him to take up the work of permanent representative of the firm at the source of supply, and in great joy he returns to the girl whom he could not forget.
- James Collins leaves his dear old mother and goes West, where he becomes connected with the Bar Diamond Outfit. He finds the life of a cowboy arduous and the pay meager. The possibilities of owning a herd of his own by blotting brands or branding calves, occurs to him, as it has to many others, who desire quick results from very little effort. Six months later, he is a full-fledged cattle thief, branding cattle, under his own registered brand, while ostensibly an honest cowboy in the employ of the Bar Diamond Ranch. He writes his mother of his success and she, never dreaming of the hazardous occupation her son is following, plans to join him in the West. Jim grows reckless in his branding and starts blotting his employer's brand. It is soon noticed by the cowboys and they keep a sharp watch for the cattle thief. At last, the ranchman himself discovers the rustler branding cattle and riding over alone, he is surprised to find one of his own men engaged in the nefarious work. He bitterly rebukes him and Jim, drawing his gun, shoots his employer, and then attempts escape. The shot is heard by the cowboys and they come riding over to find their employer dead. They start after the rustler, and after a long chase they run him down and he is shot. Ed Neville, the foreman, finds a locket hanging around the rustler's neck and removes it, and the boys carry the body away. Soon a heap of dirt on the prairie marks a murderer's grave, and the cowboys put the last spade of dirt on the mound and hurry back to the bunkhouse. They are discussing the rustler's crime when a livery rig drives up to the bunkhouse, and a dear old white-haired lady alights and asks for James Collins, explaining that she is his mother. All the chivalry in their nature is aroused, and the boys determine that this innocent mother shall never know that her son died a criminal and a murderer. They take her into the bunkhouse, and then hurry away to the rustler's grave, and cover it with flowers. On their return Ed Neville gently informs her that her son had died an heroic death, and had begged that the locket he wore be returned to his dear mother. They escort her to the rustler's grave and there leave her, that she may be alone with her grief. As she has no ties in the east, the boys ask her to remain with them and be the mother of the ranch.
- Captain Frank Marvin and Lieut. Bob Chase are army draftsmen in the Ordnance Department. Marvin is working on plans for a submarine that is expected to revolutionize warfare. One of the foreign governments is anxious to obtain the plans. Valpar, an agent of this government, attempts to bribe Frank but fails. Frank is in love with Bob's sister Ruth. Valpar learns that Bob's weakness is women, and inveigles into his scheme his niece, Zena. Bob becomes infatuated with Zena, and Zena puts Bob to the supreme test of his love. Although as she says she is engaged to another, she will flee with him providing he steals the submarine plans. He steals the plans and delivers them to Zena. She tells him she will be ready to go with him in one hour. When he returns at the end of that time, Zena has vacated her apartments. Bob realizes he has been tricked. In desperation he leaves a note for Ruth, confessing all and saying he is going to end his life. Frank in the meantime has discovered the loss. Aware that he alone is responsible for the plans he sends a note to Ruth telling of their loss, and declaring he is going to die. When Ruth receives the note she rushes into Bob's room to obtain his assistance, and there finds a note that Bob left. Rushing to the telephone Ruth attempts to call up Frank. The line is busy. Zena during this time has delivered the plans to her uncle. They attempt to catch a train but miss it. There is not another train until morning and they take connecting rooms at a hotel. Zena realizes that she really loves Bob and pleads with her uncle to allow her to return the plans. When he scoffs at her entreaty, she grabs the plans and runs into her own room, locking the door, and imprisoning Valpar. Frank has gone to the docks to commit suicide, but he determines to make a final search of the safe, thinking perhaps he might have misplaced the plans. Zena telephones to Frank's office, in hope of locating Bob. Her telephone call halts Bob's suicide, and he rushes from the office, leaving his revolver on Frank's desk. Arriving in his office, Frank again looks for the plans, but his search is futile. He sees the revolver and believes that Bob has learned from Ruth the loss of the plans and that Bob has invoked the code of honor of the army to save him from disgrace. Ruth dons one of Bob's uniforms and hastens to avert the tragedy, if possible. Bob reaches Zena just as Valpar breaks down the door connecting the two rooms. Valpar, seeing that the game is up, flees. As Zena and Bob embrace, Bob suddenly remembers leaving the revolver on Frank's desk. Knowing that he is bound to discover the loss of the plans and that in finding the revolver he will believe suspicion has been directed against him, he hurriedly returns to the barracks with Zena. Ruth in Bob's uniform is making her way to Frank's room, when she is jostled by an intoxicated soldier. Her hat falls off revealing her long hair. Quick explanations follow and Bob and Ruth hurry to Frank's office. Confessions and explanations are made, Frank forgives Bob, and two marriages follow.
- Ole Johnson decides that he ought to marry. Decides to insert an ad. in the paper. He receives an answer from a Swedish girl in a town not far from his home. Ole answers the maiden's letter sending her a photograph of himself and requesting one of her's in return. Steena Iverson, the lady fair, is not the most beautiful lady in existence, and fearing to spoil her chances of marriage, decides not to send one of her photos but one of her mistress instead. Ole receives the photo and decides to pay a visit to Steena. Meanwhile the lady of the house, Mrs. Gaylife has been informed by her husband that he has been called away. Mrs. Gaylife intends not to be lonely during her husband's absence, so sends for another companion. They leave to spend a pleasant evening together. Ole has arrived to pay the promised visit to his unknown lady love. Steena allows him to enter, but Ole cannot see her face, which is covered by a veil. He begs and pleads with her to remove it, but she refuses. Confusion is heard outside announcing the return of Mrs. Gaylife and her vis-a-vis. Steena hides Ole in the closet as Mrs. Gaylife and gentleman enter. They are enjoying a quite tete-a-tete, when the bell rings outside announcing the return of Mr. Gaylife. Mrs. Gaylife tells the gentleman to go into the closet, but instead he hides behind the screen. Mr. Gaylife enters and embraces his wife and turns to place his grip and coat in the closet when she stops him, takes them from him and leaves the room with them. Husband becomes suspicious, turns and sees Ole's hat and cane, thanks he is wise, starts for closet when Mrs.Gaylife stops him. He accuses her and she having seen the friend behind the screen, goes to the door to prove him wrong. She opens the doors and Ole comes out. Husband demands an explanation. Ole tells him he came to marry Mrs. Gaylife, showing the photograph. Mrs. Gaylife tells him she has never seen him before. Steena has overheard the whole transaction and tells them he came to marry her. Ole gets one glance at Steena's face and makes a getaway. Mr. and Mrs. Gaylife embrace most lovingly and while they are paying no attention to him, Mr. Friend makes a getaway unseen by anyone.
- While on a summer's outing, Forest becomes engaged to Aileen, a wealthy young woman staying at the same hotel. One day he is accosted by a woman who claims Forrest to be the father of her child. Forrest declares the woman to be a stranger to him. and convinces Aileen and her parents until Mary produces a photograph of Forrest. Later Forrest sees a likeness of himself in a newspaper, and then realizes that somewhere in the world there exists his physical counterpart, and in this solution he sees the key to the story so convincingly told by Mary. Time elapses, and through this strange likeness and on circumstantial evidence, Forrest is convicted and about to be hanged for murder. He is offered a pardon if he will impersonate the Governor's son Paul, whose double he is, and who is guilty of the murder for which Forrest was convicted, until after the election. Ignorant of the exact facts, he consents. Meantime, Paul has married a chorus girl, who threatens the Governor's social ambitions. Forrest falls in love with Kathie, but would renounce his pardon rather than marry her fraudulently. Paul finds his wedding has been illegal, the supposed lover of the girl whom he killed in a jealous quarrel, having been in reality her husband. He returns to denounce Forrest as an impostor, but he is followed by the chorus girl, who, in revenge for her husband's death, stabs him fatally, and Forrest's innocence is established.
- A wandering cowboy is hired by a ranch owner. When the other cowboys show the newcomer their refusal he turns to his donkey pal and his usual loneliness. Then his boss'daughter comes home wanting to experience Western life and the pilgrim feels attracted to her.
- Jim Regan, photographer, was sent by his paper to make snapshots of wild game. He found old Barlow, a trapper, possessed of two pretty daughters, and promptly fell in love with Mabel, who responded. Carrie, the other daughter, loved Ralph Conway, a mountain scamp. One day, Jim, in the woods with Barlow, sets his camera so that he might get a snapshot of a bear, attaching the camera by mechanical means to the bear trap so that when it operates the camera would get the picture. That after noon Ralph Conway induced Carrie to elope with him, Barlow having refused permission for the marriage. In anger Conway sought the old man out, found him leaning over the bear trap and felled him with a blow. In an instant his own foot was caught and he went spinning into the air. Old Barlow, hours afterwards, staggered throughout the woods toward home. Meanwhile, curious about his camera, Regan went to the trap, found Conway, releases him and took his camera back. In the quickly made dark room, Regan found a negative of Conway in the act of striking old Barlow. He rushed out, caught Carrie just as she was about to leave for the rendezvous and grappled with Conway. Just then old Barlow staggered in. No explanations were needed. Barlow simply took up his gun and pointed and Conway with a laugh, turned his evil face towards the mountains.
- John and Jim are sons of Walter Hymens and their love for the bright lights and correct wearing apparel led them to plaguing their father for his simple life. "Be a sport and come to the dance," they tell him, but the middle-aged widower would only smile and bid them have a good time. However, it is destined that a handsome widow's smile is to bring the old man "back to life," but when the pretty Mrs. Valeria becomes the tenant of an adjoining house the up-to-the-minute sons do not take their Daddy into consideration as other than a "dead one." With only a slight acquaintance the two boys vie with each other for a smile or a look from the alluring widow. While the boys are spending the wee hours of the night under the halo of the bright lights and Daddy has donned his pajamas and tucked himself in bed, from the house next door the screams of a woman pierce the stillness of the quiet suburban neighborhood. Valorous Daddy, clad only in his sleeping apparel, answers the call and the boys, returning home at this moment, see their father madly dashing into the home of the widow. Astounded, they, too, rush into the house and come upon the sight of the girl they love clad only in her nightdress swooning in the arms of their night-robed parent. Investigation proves that the cat had upset a costly vase in the parlor and the widow, being alone in the house, became hysterical at the thought of burglars. The boys breathe a sigh of relief when they know that their father was only answering a call for help. In the morning the boys enter into a discussion as to which is the favored by the widow's smiles, an argument which results in their clearing the library floor and fighting for the honor to succeed the departed Mr. Valeri. In the meantime the dark horse, having dreamed all night of the blue eyes, red lips and perfect figure of the night-attired vision of loveliness, unburdens his tale of love to the fair charmer and she, noting that a button is missing from his coat, succumbs to his plea, saying, "Well, you need someone to care for you and - and - I'm awfully lonesome." Joyfully, the happy couple hasten to inform the boys of their engagement and find them still fighting. Seeking the cause, the father is told that they are settling the question as to who is favored most by the lady in the doorway. Withholding his laughter, the old man very pompously shakes the hand of his future partner and bowing profusely, introduces the blushing widow as his future wife. The boys are dumbfounded.
- Dan Hawkins, a rancher of Skull Valley, Arizona, going to the post-office for his mail, recognizes a man standing near, pulls his gun, shoots the man down and rides hastily away. The loitering cowpunchers hasten with news of the tragedy to the home of Fred Weller, the sheriff, who bidding his mother good-bye, saddles his broncho, and is off on the trail of the assassin. Nell, Hawkins' daughter, awaits her father's return, and greets him joyfully. He is much depressed, and thrusting a note into her hand, bids her good-bye and rides away. Nell reads the note: "My Dear Daughter--Fifteen years ago your mother ran away with another man. Today I killed him. I have made provision for your future. I am leaving this country. Good-bye. Your Father." The sheriff reaches Hawkins' cabin and encounters Nell, who denies knowledge of the whereabouts of her father. Weller, however, discovers the hoof-prints of Hawkins' horse, and starts on the trail. The next evening, by aid of his field glasses, he discovers Hawkins asleep, his horse unsaddled standing near. He stealthily steals upon the sleeping man, secures his gun and takes him prisoner. Hawkins pleads to be permitted to see his daughter. Arriving at the cabin, Nell and her father go inside, while Weller, exhausted from many hours in the saddle, drops upon a bench and is soon fast asleep. Nell comes from the cabin, purloins from the sheriff the key to the handcuffs, releases her father who rides away, she placing the handcuffs upon her own wrists. Weller awakens and is astounded. The girl tells him what she has done, and demands that she be taken in her father's stead. The cowpunchers, meanwhile, have set out in search of the sheriff, and meet him and Nell on the trail, Weller explaining, "My prisoner escaped, but I captured his daughter." He takes Nell to his home, and explains to his mother, who gives the girl a warm welcome. The new love grows apace, and in the end we find Nell handcuffing herself to Weller, promising to be "His prisoner for life."
- George Wilson is an emigrant seeking a new home. He stops at the town for provisions, and is warned by the rangers to look out for the land thieves. His daughter leaves the "prairie schooner," and her father introduces her to Jim Haden, the leader of the rangers. The ranger is very much impressed with the homesteader's daughter and she is pleased with the manly ranger. Their business transactions completed, the homesteaders continue their journey across the plains. The wagon is observed by the land thieves, who send a spy to find out where the "nester" intends to locate. At last, in a fertile valley, George Wilson starts to stake out his new home, and the spy returns to tell the other land thieves the place selected. The land thieves ride en masse to the homesteader's camp and warn him to leave the range before sundown. After their departure, the frightened wife and daughter urge the homesteader to leave, but he refuses to surrender his rights at the mandate of the outlaws. Securing his horse, he rides out to inspect the surrounding country. The leader of the land thieves, watching him from ambush, fires at him, killing him instantly. When her father does not return to camp, Margaret becomes uneasy, and mounting one of the horses, she goes out to look for him. She comes upon his body, and kneeling beside it gives way to her grief, when she hears the land thieves approaching. Securing her father's gun, she rides for her life, followed by the desperadoes. When she arrives in camp she gives her mother a gun and the two women prepare to defend themselves against the onslaught of the land thieves. In the meantime Jim Haden, the ranger, has received a note from headquarters warning him that land thieves are raiding the reservation. He calls the boys together and they ride out to investigate. In the distance they see the unequal battle waged by the desperadoes against the helpless women. They hurry to the rescue, arriving just in time to save them from capture and insult at the hands of the outlaws. The overwrought girl faints in Jim's arms, and it is evident that the interest awakened in his heart for her will be a lasting one.