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- Abandoned by her maidservant in an isolated country house, a mother must protect herself and her baby from an invading tramp while her husband races home in a stolen car to save them.
- Eleanor, who earns her living working with her mother as a laundress, is courted by a bad man who will try to induct her into crime. Surprising finale. One of the few Cleo Madison surviving films.
- A magic spell has turned a handsome prince into a hideous and repulsive beast, and only the love of a beautiful woman can change him back. ]
- Amy Townsend demands a divorce from Jeremiah Townsend, a prosperous business man, accusing Mary Warren of being the co-respondent in the case. Mr. Townsend begs to defend himself, and after he and Mrs. Townsend have been sworn in he tells his story. Amy and he lived in a little country town and were happy with their baby girl. Oil was discovered on their farm, and selling it for a great sum, they went to the city to live. Anne, their child, died at the age of twelve. Then the wife began to devote herself to clubs and society, and the man to business. One day, when Townsend had gone to a tenement district with his agent to collect some delayed rents, he was stopped by a young girl who said that she and her aged grandmother, a cripple, were to be turned out of their rooms in the tenement because she had no money and couldn't get a position. As a last resort, she offered to accept his money at his own terms. At first disgusted. Townsend soon came to realize that the girl's proposition was more repulsive to herself that to anyone else. Telling the girl that she could pay the rent whenever she was able, he offered her the position as his stenographer. Many months passed, and Townsend saw Mary a great deal, going to the tenement every evening to enjoy the simple society of herself and her mother. He had given her gifts and looked upon her almost as his daughter. His wife's detectives had discovered these things, and had poisoned her mind. In spite of his explanations, she refused to believe that his motives were pure. Mary is brought on the stand and soon breaks down. She tells the court that she and Joe had been engaged for two years, but were unable to marry until Townsend had given the young fellow a fine position. They had been secretly married for three months. Mrs. Townsend realizes her mistake. She tells the judge that no one had told her this part of the story. When the lawyer announces that the judge must take into consideration in the matter of alimony that Mr. Townsend has been forced to the wall and is practically penniless, his wife rushes to him. The case is dismissed.
- Unaware that they are related, children born to the octoroon (1/16th Black) mistress and a white wife of a white man meet and fall in love.
- Agnes Duane, a young woman of the twentieth century, full of good red blood and with plenty of spirit, returns to her New England home and its prim atmosphere, after completing her course in college. Arriving there, she finds that her considerate parents have chosen for her a husband. The individual whom they have chosen for this honor happens to be an effeminate, insipid, very sanctimonious little minister. Upon meeting him Agnes laughs in his face, much to the humiliation of the minister and the consternation of her strait-laced parents. Thinking to cure her of some of her crudeness, her father sends her to his brother down in Kentucky, where she roams the mountain fastness in untrammeled freedom. One day while wandering about in the hills she becomes lost and is found and taken to her uncle's home by one of a queer duo of mountaineer brothers who harbor an inborn and intense hatred for each other. One of these men is a veritable giant in size and strength while the other, the one who rescued Agnes, is of small build and slight strength, but is possessed of a superior cunning. Soon she becomes acquainted with both these brothers and both fall deeply in love with her. Finally, one night the younger and smaller brother, tries to force himself upon her and he is confronted by the giant. In a dissolve the reason for this hate is revealed. As a result of this encounter the weaker man devises a diabolical scheme to put his brother out of the way. Fortunately for the giant, the scheme fails and he passes the trap unscathed. In the meantime, Agnes has felt herself drawn to the larger man by his sheer animal magnetism. She seems on the point of confessing her love for him when, through a cruel act, his true nature is revealed and she turns from him. Soon after she meets the Rev. Hugh Baxton, a real man at last, and to him she surrenders unconditionally.
- There is a fine opportunity for bravery during the height of battle. But there is probably a finer opportunity at the moment of defeat when the cry increases to a roar, "Every man for himself." The man worthwhile is the man who does not heed this cry of the panic-stricken. Such a man was George Tate, moonshiner by birth, but possessing the qualities of which heroes are made. His father was murdered by a half-breed. His sister, Amy, was assaulted and was in continual danger from the same source. Although he lived in the shadow of the law, an outcast with other moonshiners, he believed in a square deal. One day the revenue officers swept down upon the moonshiners' still. Tate and Neut Haigh, who loved Amy, led the forces of the moonshiners. At the deciding moment in the battle the half-breed exposed the secret defenses of the rugged country to the revenue men. Tate, Haigh and Amy were finally driven into the Tate college. They were surrounded and the battle was at that stage when the weaker ones cry, "Every man for himself." Tate looked into the faces of Amy and Haigh. They were lovers. They had something to live for. His thoughts ran in leaps and bounds. He lifted a trap door in the floor. He knew that he was looking upon his sister for the last time. He could say nothing, except, "go."
- Dr. Kaishian, an adept at hypnotism, visits a department store, where he meets a young saleswoman. Unable to resist his magnetic eyes, Nora becomes a willing slave, and is duly ensconced in his home. Here she is soon disillusioned, but the Oriental servant, Nagon, prevents her from escaping. Dr. Kaishiau in the park observes a beautiful woman walking with her husband, William Armstrong. Contriving a ruse whereby he can scrape an acquaintance, he brushes rudely into the couple, and in profuse apology, tenders his card. When the Armstrongs return home, they find one of their children ill, and their regular physician being out on a call, they think of their chance acquaintance with Dr. Kaishian, who is summoned. The wily doctor loses no time to enmesh Mrs. Armstrong, and before he leaves he has reduced her to a state of servility by the exercise of his hypnotic talents. He compels her to follow him immediately from the house. She attempts to write a letter to her husband, stating that she is going against her will, and just has time to blot it, when the hypnotist tears it up, and forces her to inscribe another, stating that she is leaving voluntarily, and that he will never see her again. The distracted husband is told by the maid that she suspects Dr. Kaishian is at the bottom of his wife's elopement, and Armstrong rushes to the home of the doctor, who professes deep solicitude. He extracts an apology from the husband, even while the wife sits in a hypnotic state behind the curtains in the same room. Nora, burning with anxiety to expose the evil doctor, is ruthlessly seized by the Hindoo servant, who bears her away, When Armstrong leaves, the doctor hastens to the room where Nagon has concealed Nora and orders him to place her in a dry cistern, and drown her by turning a flooding device. While the Oriental is manipulating the mechanism, the girl seizes the opportunity to wrest from him the iron lever, and deals him a terrific blow on the head, and escapes, while the water wells up and makes him suffer the fate he had intended for her. Upon Armstrong's return from his futile quest, the maid rushes forward with additional evidence that the wife is a prisoner in the doctor's house. This is furnished by the blotter she used when she wrote the first message that the doctor tore up. This time he determines to succeed. The Armenian is prepared for the terrific encounter that ensues. Through the rooms the wrathful Armstrong and the now terrified hypnotic battle until he reaches where he has a gun concealed. He stands in front of a curtain, and just as he is about to fire at Armstrong, Nora, who is on the opposite side, plunges a stiletto into his side, and he falls dead. Armstrong recognizes his wife's scream, locates her, and is again happy with her and her children. The police come and discover the evil doctor's body, but not before Nora is far from the house of iniquity.
- Morton is the owner of the iron works. The men strike. The men are lead by Ben Shoreham. David Craig, on the other hand, though sympathizing with the workers, preaches restraint and tolerance to them. Ben challenges him to fight, and after the encounter Craig, who is victorious, leads a delegation of the men to see the iron master, Morton, and talk over their differences. Morton, unless he can make delivery on a certain contract by a fixed date, is threatened with ruin. It is to his interest to grant the demands of the men, but he cannot bring himself to give in to them. During the argument which ensues between him and the delegation, his daughter overhears part of the conversation, and her sympathies are aroused for the men. Craig welcomes her co-operation, and takes her to the homes of her father's laborers, showing her the bad conditions under which they live and are forced to toil. Meanwhile, Morton's troubles increase. The date of the forfeit clause in the contract draws near, and only the ending of the strike can save him. His daughter, unaware of this, has sold her jewels to furnish the men with funds to continue the strike. Craig discovers her sacrifice, and promises to do what he can to save her father. At this time the great teacher, Rossini, passes away, and for the first time, Craig learns of his identity. The teacher was Count di Rossini of Tuscany, and Craig is his son. He inherits a legacy of $250,000. Craig goes to the iron master and asks him if it is true that the continuance of the strike will ruin him financially. Morton grimly admits it. Craig shows him Rossini's letter, offering to buy an interest and settle the strike, if the demands of the men are met. Morton agrees, and later the spirit of Rossini is seen with David and Viola.
- Antone and Jose, two brothers, work to pay off the mortgage on their vineyard. Jose lives with his brother and Rose, his wife. Antone goes to town with a consignment of wine, and in his absence a scarf dealer calls at the shack, and tempts her to purchase his wares. The gaudy scarfs appeal to her. The lure of the colors is on her, and unable to deny himself the sweet pleasure of owning it, she goes to a niche in the wall where the brothers hoard their meager savings, and with the hard-earned bagatelle buys the scarf. Her brother-in-law, upon his return to the shack in the evening, asks her how and where she obtained the scarf, and the woman lies to avoid incriminating herself. But Jose divines the truth, and seeking the money, discovers it to be missing. He denounces her as a thief, and the woman, to save herself from having her offense disclosed to her husband, plunges her stiletto into her brother-in-law. In the short struggle which follows the guilty scarf is torn. Leaving him apparently dead, she rushes from the house. Then the realization of the full enormity of her double sin dawns upon her, and stricken with repentance and remorse, she re-enters the house. She works hard to bring the man back to consciousness, and at last her efforts are rewarded. Pitifully, she pleads for her brother-in-law's silence, asking him to spare her from her husband's execration. Her tears at last accomplish what her rage and stubborn struggle failed to achieve: she wins Jose's forgiveness and friendship, and upon the return of her husband he claims the ownership of the torn scarf, thus shielding his erring sister-in-law.
- The Boob's country sweetheart goes to the city for employment and finds it as scullery maid in the house of a family of "would-be" society people. The Boob, in the meantime, has been left a large sum of money by a distant relative. He writes of his good fortune. The letter falls into the hands of the scheming mistress of the house, who is looking for a wealthy husband for her daughter. She decides to capture him if possible. The Boob arrives in the middle of an afternoon reception, causing considerable mirth. The mistress cleverly keeps him from seeing the scullery maid by entertaining him. The Boob appreciates the entertainment so much that he finally goes to sleep. A quarrel is started in the kitchen between the scullery maid and the house maid, which results in the scullery maid chasing the house maid up and down the stairs. The scullery maid finally trips and falls down stairs, landing in the Boob's arms with the result of a happy reunion.
- Stephen's wife fails to inspire him in his painting. While seated before his hearth stone the young artist dreams of a beautiful pastoral love scene between a faun and a wood-nymph that is interrupted by the daughter of Pan. She lures the faun from his own true love with the weird music of her father's flute. The artist awakens from his dream with the picture of the daughter of Pan lingering in his mind. It is the picture he would like to transfer to canvas. In searching for an ideal model, Stephen meets Caprice, a dancer who exemplifies the spirit of Pan's daughter. She is induced to pose for the coming masterpiece. Stephen becomes enamored of his model and sadly neglects his wife. When the wife is refused admittance to her husband's studio, she naturally becomes jealous and angry. As the days pass the wife becomes friendly with her husband's friend, Arthur Darrell. Darrell is in love with the wife and makes advances, but for the time these are spurned. The sinister influence of Caprice upon the artist is apparent, and even after the painting is finished he is too fascinated with her to let her go. In a passionate love scene he wins her. His wife, in the meantime, has come to an understanding with the friend, Darrell. However, she decides, in fairness to her husband, to inform him prior to her departure, of her intentions. She finds the studio empty; the fatal picture is there finished to mock her. In a rage she slashes it to ribbons and with the act of destruction, the influence under which Stephen has worked is broken. Deserting his sweetheart, he hurries home to find love and forgiveness in the hands of his repentant wife.
- A journalist is reluctant to ruin a woman's reputation for the sake of a juicy story.
- Ruth Braddon, the daughter of a wealthy factory owner, who is interested in improving social conditions, receives a letter, advising her to look at the state of affairs at her father's own factory. She visits her father and he refers her to his junior partner, Fred Howard, to whom Ruth is engaged. Accompanied by her fiancé, Ruth goes on a tour of inspection through the factory. In the hallway, she sees a crowd of workers gathered around a girl who has fainted in the poorly-ventilated workroom. As they approach the group, David Hale, a factory hand, asks Howard for better conditions. Howard orders David back. Ruth, admiring David's personality, interferes and tells him she will talk with her father. The next day David visits Bessie and tells her he is expecting a raise of wages soon and they will marry. Bessie's happiness over David's love is interrupted by a visit from Ruth. David takes her through the tenements, showing her poverty in its worst form. She asks him to assist her in lightening the burden of the poor. He consents. The close contact into which David and Ruth are thrown in their work, draws them together. Ruth awakens to the knowledge that she is in love with David. She breaks her engagement with Howard. He goes to her father. The father shows a letter he received from David in which he asked for an increase of wages so that he may marry Bessie Clay. Ruth comes to her father's office for money and her father places the check close to David's letter so Ruth will see it. She learns for the first time of David's engagement. She is overcome and on leaving her father's office meets David. She breaks down and weeps.
- Gavin McDonald of the wilds of the North had fallen in love with a girl from the city. After their marriage the wife persuaded her husband to give up his wild life and to enjoy the luxuries of civilization. The father's heart was set on raising his boy in the North. He had recognized the mockery of society and had often pleaded with his wife to return with him to the wilderness. She preferred the life of the city. Hale McGraw, of the C.N.W.M.P., and his wife are friends of the McDonalds. McGraw begins to neglect his own wife and show attention to McDonald's. McGraw and McDonald's wife indulge in a love scene. Later they elope, and when McDonald learns of their act he takes his son far from the abode of women and raises him in a masculine world. McGraw and Mrs. McDonald arrive in a distant city and they realize what they have done. They determine to return and right the error, if possible. Mrs. McDonald finds her husband gone with the baby to parts unknown. McGraw's wife refuses to forgive him for the part he has played. Some time later McGraw's wife dies, leaving to his care her baby girl. He, unable to bear the sight of familiar places, gets transferred to the far North and takes charge of the post. Far among the mountains McDonald sees his boy grow through childhood to early manhood. He is known among the trappers and traders as "John o' the Mountains." He has never seen a woman. One day in reading a magazine he sees pictures of women. He is captivated by their beauty, and the father, coming upon him tears the magazine from his hand. John is sent to the post with the annual catch of skins and realizes quite a sum of money from their sale. He also meets Cherry Melotte, one of the inmates of the dance hall and becomes infatuated with her. She is tired of the life she leads and tries to steal the money from John, but he catches her and throws the money in her lap. Returning home, he runs into a fight between one of the N.W.M.P. and a gang of timber thieves. He brings the wounded policeman to his father's cabin. When old McDonald sees the uniform he refuses him any assistance and his son cannot understand it. The wounded policeman reaches the headquarters and turns in a report. McGraw, who has charge of the district, gathers his men together and sets out in pursuit of the bandits. Abbie, McGraw's daughter, has grown up with her father in the wilderness. She begs him to take her with him and he consents. McDonald has told his son why he is so bitter against the M.P. It is because his wife eloped with one of them, and the boy learns why he has been kept from the sight of all womankind. Soon afterwards McGraw and his party arrive at the cabin to ask John to guide them to the haunt of the timber thieves. He meets Abbie and there is a mutual attraction between them, and although the father protests against his son's going, the boy is unable to resist the opportunity to be near the girl. They all reach a deserted cabin and the girl is left there, while the others set out to capture the thieves. There is a fierce battle and the leader of the thieves, seeing his men getting the worst of it, takes refuge in flight. He returns to the cabin and finds the girl. He determines to take her with him. But John, who has been watching the cabin, enters and frustrates the bad man's plan. He and the thief have a battle and John proves to be the better man. Flushed with his victory, he claims the girl as his own, won in a man-to-man fight. He is just about to carry her away when Cherry enters the cabin. She is on her way to the city, and feeling gratitude to John for the money he has given her, she tells him of the mistake he is making and he lets the girl go. Old McDonald had followed the officers and comes upon the scene to find McGraw wounded. He has recognized the officer before, but kept the knowledge a secret. McGraw begs for water and McDonald is about to refuse when his better nature prevails and he eases the last moments of his old enemy. McGraw then tells him that his wife has always been faithful and still awaits his return. He also tells of his own wife's death and begs McDonald to care for his girl. The story ends as McDonald leaves to search for his wife. John's guardianship proves acceptable to the girl and together they build bright hopes for the future.
- Aratus, a chemist, invents an acid that will petrify living things into inanimate stone. Outside of his laboratory he has a little pond into which he throws the victims of his experimentation, flowers, small animals and plants, in their petrified state. In his interest of science Aratus neglects and forgets everything, even his wife, and gives all his time to his labors, and once, when she and his life-long friend are in his laboratory, he seems disturbed and asks them to go for a walk and leave him to his study. His friend, who adores Aratus's wife, presses his suit and attempts to kiss her on the way, and in the struggle ensuing, she falls into the pond in which the chemical preparation of Aratus's had been poured and she is petrified. Aratus, attracted by the noise, comes out and sees the disaster. He accuses his friend as being responsible for the accident, but the latter swears innocent. Aratus, stunned by his loss, has the pond drained and rescues the body, and placing it upon a pedestal surrounds it with flowers and immediately sets his mind to work to invent a chemical that will bring her back to life, but his endeavors are in vain. Time elapses, and in a mysterious manner, one day, all come back to life, the flowers, the animals and the woman, and Aratus thanks the hidden force that accomplished what he had failed to do.
- Violet went to bed with her kittens and animal toys, and played with them so long that when she finally fell asleep she dreamt she was a jungle maid with animals for comrades. Some of them were friendly, but some were decidedly otherwise, and Violet had a narrow escape from a hungry tiger. An ostrich gives her a ride and one of his feathers for a souvenir, a bear visits her hut and tries to steal her doll, a lion scares her, and a baby elephant is a welcome playmate. She has a terrible adventure with a monkey, who pelts her with cocoanuts, but a Hottentot man saves her from the monkey and brings her presents of fruit to eat. Violet is quite sorry when she wakes and finds it all a dream.
- Sister Ursula is a novice in a convent in Southern Spain. One day, while the peddler Perez comes to the convent to sell his wares, she sees Manuel, a handsome cavalier riding by and she cannot suppress her feelings of affection for him. Perez sells the Abbess a beautiful length of fabric for an altar cloth, but when Ursula is putting it away, she cannot resist the temptation to drape herself in the cloth and admire her own beauty. Coming to her senses, she runs to the Abbess to confess her sins. Her penance is to kneel in vigil before the altar all night, but during the night she falls into a deep sleep. She dreams that Perez tempts her to leave with him by saying he will make her Manuel's lover. She is traveling with Perez, disguised as a boy, when they come upon a group of thieves, who proceed to attack Manuel when he passes near their camp. With the help of Perez, Ursula drugs the guards, and they help Manuel escape. The trio comes upon a troupe of dancing girls, who tease Ursula for "his" shyness. Carmela, one of the dancers, attempts to win Manuel's favor, and when she does not succeed she attacks him with a knife. Ursula steps in her path and is stabbed in the arm. While tending to Ursula's wound, Manuel discovers her true identity. The girls plan a feast for Ursula, but Carmela denounces her as a fallen nun. The crowd attack her and beat her for her sins. Ursula wakes up on the altar with the Abbess beside her, and they pray together for her forgiveness. Motion Picture News.
- A soldier finds strength after being given a rosary at the hospital where he was treated.
- Rose is rescued by Jack, a ranger and he falls in love with the Girl.Paul, an artist sees her and induces her to pose for him.He takes her to his studio,but when she learns that he is married runs away.Paul follows her and is stopped by Jack.Silent Jordan, a old man living in the woods stop Jack from shooting Paul.He tells them a sad story and Jack, with tears in his eyes takes Rose in his arms.
- Nan Brenner is a toiler in one of the large department stores. Her mother, built on a large scale physically, virtually overawes the household. Her husband, failing to make a living in the past, she has taken in washing and forces him to do the labor. As a compensation for his work she gives him ten cents on every dollar that she makes. This sum immediately goes to swell the funds of the liquor trust. Jimmy Ford is a shipping clerk in a large wholesale house. Every evening he catches the car as it comes through the wholesale district and as the crowds usually get on downtown he always has a seat. He has noticed Nan many times and has offered his seat many times. She refuses each time. One rainy day he goes through the same routine and while waiting for Nan to take the seat, a laborer slips into it. Jimmy expostulates and a fight ensues, in which Jimmy throws the laborer out. Nan is weary and thankfully sinks into the disputed seat. When Nan goes to get off, she notices Jimmy has left his umbrella in the seat and takes it to him. He gets off with her and offers to share the umbrella with her. She at first refuses, and then reluctantly agrees. Jimmy gets a promise from Nan that she will go with him for a walk through the park the coming Sunday. At last the long awaited day arrives and the two lighthearted young folks set out. Passing several of her acquaintances. Nan hears them remark that she has a "steady." Near the zoo they see a poor drunken sot who is being baited by a crowd of boys. Nan, with horror, realizes it is her father. Jimmy, not knowing him, takes pity on him and runs the boys off and offers to take him home. Nan tells him it is her father and he tells to go on ahead that he will bring him home. Nan thinks her newly-found romance is over, for when they arrive home, Jimmy will see her home life as it really is. When Jimmy arrives home with the old man, his wife abruptly jerks him out of Jim's hands without even a word of thanks for his kindness. Nan has gone to her room and thrown herself sobbing upon the bed. As Jimmy starts to leave, he hears her and timidly knocks on her door. She bids him enter and he bashfully tells her that they had better go back and finish the rest of the peanuts he purchased. Out in the park later is found a young couple. The girl is shaking with sobs, while her protector has his arms around her vainly trying to soothe her. At last she raises her head and looks searchingly at him. Satisfied with her scrutiny, she surrenders into his eager embarrassed arms and as the story ends Jimmy takes his toll of kisses.
- Harvey Martin, a millionaire of eccentric ideas, and essentially a woman hater, is telling the story. First, he hates women because they are cowards, and further, he believes that all of his sweethearts have loved him merely because he is rich. Jane, a poor but somewhat proud school teacher, visits her wealthy married sister. Forthwith the sister sets a drag-net for a rich match for Jane. Martin falls into the net and is informed by the intriguing sister that Jane is absolutely without fear. Martin grimly decides to put her to the test. He brings her mice, snakes and vicious dogs, but Jane controls herself and keeps up the semblance of being fearless. As a supreme test, Martin dares her to explore the graveyard at dead of night. She accepts the challenge. As a result of this test, however, she becomes ill. She thanks Martin for teaching her to overcome fear as she can now overcome her fear of poverty and go back to her teaching. Martin, however, now discovers that one who overcomes fear is more than one born fearless. Thus he asks her to be his wife. The end of the matter is that she does not return to teaching.
- Carlotta, born of lowly parents, is adopted by the nobleman Don Valasquez and is raised to womanhood. She has grown up, and fallen in love, with Valasquez' son Don Manuel, but he is sent off to the court of the King. Six years later, the son returns with a wife and small child. Carlotta becomes obsessed with hatred and one day, she sees the child reaching for a rose on the window sill. The child begins to lose its balance and Carlotta, still filled with hatred, does nothing. The child falls and is killed. Later, Carlotta feels remorse and joins a nunnery, where from her window she can see the boy's grave. Thirteen years later she tells sister Agnes her story, and says that each year, on the anniversary of the boy's death, his spirit appears before her with a cross of blood on his forehead. That day is the anniversary, but this time the spirit appears and Carlotta recognizes in him the Christ child and knows she has been forgiven.
- Smuggling Chinamen is a lucrative job and the old fisherman follows it successfully. One daughter, Lois, lives with him. The other, who has been deserted, struggles back to her old home, only to be met with anger by the father. Lois' sweetheart is the coastguard. He receives word that smugglers are expected to land Chinamen that night. He posts extra guards. Lois tells her sister to hide in the cave where they used to play as children, and that she will bring her food after dark. The girl does as she is bid, unwitting of the fact that the cave is the rendezvous of the smugglers. Lois arrives just before the father comes to the place with the Chinamen. The coastguard and his men attack the party, which scatters. The old fisherman flees, but Nemesis overtakes him at the top of a cliff, when one of the Chinamen appears unexpectedly. The old man, startled, falls over the cliff to his death.
- The baby daughter of Mrs. Norton, a widowed seamstress, dies. The sorrow-stricken mother gazes at the empty cradle and decides to replace the departed soul with an orphan child upon whom she can lavish the love, the rightful object of which the Great Giver and Taker has taken from her. She goes to the orphanage and asks to be given a baby girl, and is given one of the twin baby sisters. Richard Golden, a wealthy shirtwaist manufacturer, has an only son, a little boy, who yearns for a sister and continually begs his father to bring him a little sister to be a playmate to him, and the father, to satisfy the child's persistent pleading, goes to the orphan home and brings home the other little twin sister. Years roll by and both girls have grown to young womanhood in their different stations in life. Jack Golden, now grown to manhood, and knowing that the girl is only a foster sister, asks her to become his wife. The girl consents only to end his stubborn importunings, but she really loves a chauffeur, with whom she plans to elope. The girl and the chauffeur get away in an automobile, but a mishap occurs which changes the destinies of all the characters in the incident. The car goes over a cliff and the chauffeur is killed while the girl is taken unconscious to a hospital, where being nothing on her person to disclose her identity. In the meantime, Lucy, now a seamstress and earning a livelihood for both her foster mother and herself, has been delegated by her union to call upon the Board of Directors of the shirtwaist organization to petition for shorter hours and higher wages. Mr. Golden and his son finding her there, the close resemblance to their missing one, makes them believe that she is none other. The surprised girl tells her story, but they conclude she must have lost her reason. They follow her to the home of poor old Mrs. Norton, from whom they learn that this girl is only a sister to the one whom they seek. After many fruitless searches, Mr. Golden advertises for his lost daughter and is informed by the house physician of the hospital that she is in his care. Mr. Golden hastens there only to find that she has expired. To fill the vacancy in their heart and home they offer a home of luxury to the poor twin and her aged foster mother, which offer is accepted and the spirit of the departed girl brings to her poverty-stricken the joys and ease she had enjoyed while on earth.
- Phil Kelley, a well-known detective, makes the acquaintance of Cecil McLean during one of his raids and has been of assistance to the girl. Their acquaintance ripens and the two become very good to each other. The chief of police is very much disturbed at the operations of a gang of crooks known as the "Lumber Yard Gang," and after a particularly daring robbery, assigns Kelley to the case. Kelley examines the room where the robbery took place and finds a fingerprint of one of the crooks. By hard work he locates the crook's record and secures a photograph of him. Kelley takes a detail of police and starts on his mission. The gang hears that Kelley has discovered the identity of one of their members through the mysterious wireless system of crooks, and prepares to give the officers a warm reception. Kelley after placing his men in advantageous positions, goes alone to rout the crooks from cover and is met with a fierce resistance. A free-for-all battle takes place in which the officers join, and the crooks are finally routed. Phil picks out the leader and pursues him. Both pursuer and pursued exchange shots and both are wounded. The leader makes his way to a house and Phil closes with him. As he starts to handcuff his captive, the door opens and Cecil rushes out begging him not to take the man, as he is her brother. Kelley agrees to let the boy go if she will promise to make him leave town, and starts to return to his men. The chief of detectives has witnessed the chase, and when he sees Kelley return empty handed, upbraids him for cowardice and threatens to take his star away from him. Cecil sees them in an argument, and realizes that Kelley will suffer for his kindness to her. Determined to do the right thing she handcuffs her brother and goes out to summon Kelley. He and the chief meet the girl. She silently leads them inside the house and points to the handcuffed figure. The detective bends over the boy but finds that death has claimed him. The chief regrets his hasty words and leaves Kelley to comfort the girl, after telling him that he will hear more from the office for his successful handling of the case.
- Betty and Molly, sisters, are employed at the railroad station as waitresses. Molly has been married by her step-father to a brutal drunkard, Steve Moran, while the mother of the two girls is married to Dan Morgan, who is also a slave to drink. A theatrical troupe visits the eating house and Betty meets Burton Howard, a theater magnate. He is taken with her appearance, and giving her his card, invites her to visit him should she ever find herself on Broadway, in New York. Martin Dane, who has just arrived in town to take a job as foreman at the Morrison Steel Works, admires Betty. He saves the girl's stepfather from a drunken brawl and is invited to call that evening. Betty, anticipating another marriage such as her sister's, does not encourage Dane. Molly's husband dies in a drunken stupor, and she, seeing that her sister is about to be forced into conditions like those under which she suffered, plans to use the money she had received from her husband's insurance policy to free her sister. Betty is thus enabled to run away just before she is to be married to Dane. She goes to New York, where she calls on Burton Howard, who finally recognizes her and gives her a minor position in one of his companies. He enables her to rise in her new profession, but Betty soon finds that his interest has strings to it. Meanwhile the brutal husband of Mrs. Morgan has also died, and Martin Dane has taken the poor woman to keep house for him in the cottage he had furnished in anticipation of his marriage to Betty. Molly shows him the letter she has received from Betty, realizing at last Martin's true worth and the mistake she and her sister have made in thinking otherwise. Dane visits the city and locates Hetty's boarding house. Betty has been endeavoring to stave off Howard's advances with the excuse of not having fitting gowns to accompany him to cafés. He has bought her a fine gown and now insists that she spend the evening with him. Dane gains admittance to Betty's room before she arrives home and conceals himself. When she arrives home she is surprised when confronted by the man she promised to marry and later deserted. She at first refuses to return with Dane as his wife, repelled by the sordidness she imagines will follow. Howard calls in his taxi to take her out. He is admitted to Betty's room and the two men come face to face.
- The story of a two jewel thieves whose lives intersect during the course of their crimes.
- Mario Busoni, a young sculptor, is the ward of his uncle, Father Busoni, pastor of the Church of the Holy Name at Fiesole. The boy has shown wonderful skill in his chosen profession, so much so that he is selected to execute a life-sized statue of the Madonna for his uncle's church. This commission fills both uncle and nephew with great joy, and the lad's departure from the studio at Naples to fulfill his commission is made the occasion of much rejoicing among his fellow-workers. A discordant note is struck by Janice, a model. This girl passionately loves the young sculptor. She begs and entreats him to remain with her, and he is on the point of yielding to her blandishments when the timely arrival of his uncle puts Janice to flight. Uncle and nephew arrive at the scene of the boy's future labors and the work is commenced. A month later an important letter arrives at the studio for Mario, and Janice undertakes to deliver it to him. She arrives at the church, delivers the letter and attempts to ingratiate herself with Mario. She is again defeated by the watchful uncle, but determines to bide her time. Meanwhile Mario becomes dissatisfied with the conditions under which he is working, and finally induces his uncle to permit him to have a living model. It is found in the person of a beautiful young fisher girl, the widowed daughter of Pietro Ferrari, a fisherman. Later Mario heroically rescues the girl's father from the sea. Soon after the girl and her baby boy pose for the young artist. Tomasco, a hulking fisher lout, is in love with Mario's model. He offers marriage, and being refused, suspects Mario of being his rival. Meeting with Janice, her heart like his, aflame with jealous rage, the two plot the destruction of Mario's masterpiece, the almost completed statue of the Virgin and Child. Mario has proposed and been accepted by the fisher girl and the news of his betrothal determines Janice and her accomplice to put their plot into effect at once. Arriving at the church, the man carrying a heavy sledge, they are confronted by the finished work, a marvel of beauty of the statue. He throws down the hammer and refuses to perform the bidding of the jealous woman. She laughs at him for his sentiment and, seizing the hammer, swings it aloft. The destruction of the statue is imminent, but Divine intervention is at hand, and the eyes of the beautiful Madonna open. The poised hammer is dropped and both man and woman fall to their knees at the base of the statue, where they sob out their penitence in contrite prayers. The curtains hiding the statue are pulled aside and the bishop and his followers view the marvelous work of the young artist. Enthralled with admiration, the bishop extends his hand in blessing. The scene changes to a quiet nook near the seashore home of the fisher girl, where we find her and Mario in loving embrace, the patriarchal father holding aloft the baby boy, who is clapping his hands at the incoming rollers of the mighty sea.
- Buck and Jeff, cousins, are the last two males left in the McCall clan to continue the feud between the McCalls and the Buckners. Jeff falls in love with Almyry Buckner, daughter of old Simon Buckner. Buck McCall, having been in hiding from the sheriff before young Jeff met Almyry, finally returns to the old home and learns of Jeff's marriage. He meets a pretty little child, who says she is Honey Bee McCall. He takes a great liking to her. Through the untiring efforts of Preachin' Dan, the feud is dropped and a general reconciliation follows.
- Jean, a young wood chopper, has a sweetheart, Annette. She is insulted by the grand seigneur of the parish and Jean rebukes him. The dignitary tells his flunkies to thrash Jean, who seizes a gun and drives them from the house. The next day the girl is annoyed by the seigneur and Jean gives him and his head huntsmen a chastisement. A warrant is issued for Jean's arrest, but he evades them, and in his escape is pursued to a cliff on the seigneur's grounds where he encounters the seigneur and hurls him from the cliffs, crippling him. Jean is sentenced to the galleys for life, but wins a pardon through his efforts in saving the prison governor's life during an uprising of the galley slaves. He returns home and a happy reconciliation follows.
- Flavia Hill is the daughter of John Hill, a wealthy stockbroker. He is opposed to all forms of gambling. Charles Hill, his son, plays cards and is ordered out of the house. Flavia overhears the tirade against her brother and declares that if Charles is disowned she will leave home with him. So the brother and sister take a flat and begin life together. She secures work as a stenographer, while Charles gets a position as clerk with Garner &. Co., a stock brokerage firm. She rises rapidly in the favor of Frank Garner and soon becomes his private secretary. A swift courtship ensues and she marries him. Later her husband falls ill and she carries on the business. John Hill, through secret agents, has been trying to corner the copper market. He learns that Garner and Co. are his greatest rivals. A bitter financial war ensues in which Hill becomes deeply involved. There is but one way out, for him to appeal to Garner and Co. for assistance. He calls upon the firm and is shown into the private office, meeting his own daughter. She refuses him aid and he leaves crestfallen and angry. Flavia realizes that it will mean his financial ruin and his physical breakdown. She is torn between her duty as wife and her duty as daughter. The latter wins and she makes out a check for the amount her father has asked. John Hill has meantime returned to his office, completely broken down and resolved to commit suicide. He takes a revolver from his desk drawer and puts it at his temple. Flavia has rushed to his office and is waiting in the outer office. As he pulls the trigger there is a rap at the door and his hand slips as he turns his head. The bullet misses its mark. Flavia hears the report and rushes into the room just in time to prevent a second shot being fired. She gives her father the check. John Hill figures his profits and hurries back to Flavia with the check for the amount she loaned him with a large profit added. Flavia takes her father to her home, introduces the old man to her husband and there is a happy reconciliation between father, son and daughter.
- A fishwife tells her young daughter a fairy story about a princess imprisoned by a hunchback in a seashell, a story that parallels her own life.
- Little Sherlock Holmes, Jr., reads the doughty doings of his hero-god, and at once determines to become a detective himself. Providence at once favors him by giving him a mystery to solve. His father has noticed that in some weird, unaccountable fashion the whiskey in the decanter is ever vanishing, and father swears he drink it as fast as all that. So Sherlock Holmes, Jr. assigns himself the task of discovering who tampers with his father's soothing beverage. Concealed behind a table, he sees Bridget, the cook, come in and at once proceed to get on the outside of a man's size pull on the flask. At once the embryo detective makes his report to his father, with the astounding solution of the mystery. The father decides to use Dr. Brown's Sure Cure for the Liquor Habit on the cook, and obtains a bottle of the fluid. This he puts in the room near the whiskey, intending to pour some in the bottle a little later. Sherlock Holmes, Jr., discovers the bottle and follows the 'Do it Now' maxim. There are friends visiting the house at the time, who are sitting on the lawn with his parents, awaiting tea, which the maid is going to bring them. Sherlock Holmes, Jr. pours a goodly amount of the fluid into the tea. One of the results of taking the liquid is falling into a deep slumber, and in a few moments the host, the hostess, and the guests are fast asleep. Then happen's along Bridget's beau, the policeman, for whose particular benefit Bridget essays to go inside and procure a glass of 'buttermilk.' After imbibing, the policeman forgets all about everything except that he is awful drowsy, and the next thing, he, too, is asleep. It must have been contagious - or could Bridget not have forgotten herself? - but at any rate, she, too, wanders off into the Land of Nod. Then Sherlock dons the policeman's clothes and club, and marches through the house, monarch of all he surveys. At this opportune moment, two burglars arrive at the scene, and seeking the sleepers, think they have been transferred to Burglar's Paradise. They sneak upstairs, fill their bags with silverware and then fall for the whiskey on the table, little Sherlock watching eagerly. At last they get themselves off, followed by the creator of all the mischief, but they have not gone far when they are overcome by the liquor cure and fall in their tracks to sleep. Little Sherlock now takes the manacles from the policeman's coat pocket, and ties both legs of the burglars together. In due time the household awakes, they seek the boy, and eventually find him covering the two burglars, prisoners of Sherlock Holmes, Jr.
- Pretty Ann, and Joe, the hostler, one day chance to meet. Strong is Joe, and simple, and Ann is shy and sweet. As man and maid have done before, they love, and marry, too. And live happy ever after? Ah, this tale is new to you! Yes, the tale is drear, prosaic; and so poetry won't do. A baby boy comes to bless the union. Joe is working in the stables when they tell him of his joy: his heart is gay and happy, and he tells the horses so. Then, it might be the angels were jealous of such mortal happiness; it might be the devil, seeing the stage so set, entered to play the leading role. The tempter comes to the woman. He is a gentleman, suave, polished, charming, a man of manners; and Ann, knowing not the manners of men, hears and heeds and falls as the angels fall from heaven, another Eve heeding the serpent's call, facing a morn of desired delight, and the twilight of despair. One night Joe comes home with a happy cry of "Wife!" But the only answer is the whisper of desolation, the ghostly voice of ghastly vice! He reads the note she left him, and, Joe don't know much about God, excepting what he feels, don't know much about anything but bosses, but he asks the Lord to pardon and protect the weak woman he loved. Like a frail blossom lacking sunshine, the motherless baby droops and dies. Joe goes his way, making no complaint, 'ceptin' what he tells his bosses, 'ceptin' what he tells his God! Far away in mighty London, the woman rises into fame. Through her lover's influence and wealth, she becomes a noted actress. Her beauty wins men's homage, and she prospers in her shame. Then the day of reckoning! Time plays no favorites: the immutable law of the years takes its course; youth flies, her beauty vanishes, her charm withers: and the pretty toy, grown useless, is flung aside, as of old. The wedded morn and roses, and the widowed night, and mourning; light and life today; dark and death tomorrow; the errand of folly, and the wage of sin, from Adam to eternity! In a far-off country town, youth and strength gone, his soul seared by the sad sorrow of woman's sin, Joe reads in a newspaper how a once-famous actress, alone and in poverty, is dying. The fickle world has forgotten her fame: the fickle worshipers of wanton beauty have forgotten her very name. But Joe has forgotten only her sin and shame; only Joe remembers; only Joe is true. He comes to her and tells her he forgives her, tells her he loves her for what might have been, for the soul he would meet again in the Far Away, in the Beyond, across the vale. Held in his arms, the eyes that had seen sin look into the cleansing tears in his, and close in death! On the stone over her grave Joe wrote one word, the honored name of "Wife." A blossom we fain would pluck today from the flowers above her dust; a blossom as pure as love that lasts, a blossom sweet as the peace and purity we hope Ann found in the Distant Land.
- Isaac and his faithful wife Rachel deplore that in America their children are forced to work on the Jewish Sabbath. Leah and Sam are not so strict as their parents and the old customs pall about their more American spirits. Sam is employed in a cloak house and secretly loves his employer's daughter, but she refuses to recognize him. Leah is loved by the handsome gentile floorwalker, and despite her father's objections, she marries him. Isaac orders Leah from the house. Later, the daughter of the cloak manufacturer marries an admirer and Sam is invited to the wedding. He drinks and disgraces himself; returning home, is turned out by the heartbroken rabbi. He leaves, telling the old man that he will return when the father celebrates the Christian Christmas. Two years pass. Leah presents herself at her father's door with a baby in her arms. The old Jew refuses to see, but the mother longs to take the girl to her bosom. Julian falls under a street car; his legs are severed at the knees. Leah visits him at the hospital and is grief-stricken. Ten years later the rabbi and his wife are in poor circumstances, though he is as rigid as ever. Leah and Julian have adopted flower-making as a means of livelihood. Without knowing, the family have taken rooms above those of the rabbi. One afternoon their little girl meets the old man in the yard and assists him. An attachment springs up between the child and the old man, and the latter is impressed many times by instances of the kindness of the gentiles towards the Jews in this country. It is this child, on a Christmas night, that finally brings about reconciliation between the girl and the old father.
- The daughter of a wealthy broker aspires to marry a titled man, just a title. Deep in her heart, however, she loves Allen, but rejects his proposal, with the hope of ultimately hooking a nobleman. At about this time a good-hearted country boob arrives in the city with his family, and is given the position of janitor in the broker's office. To bring his daughter to her senses the broker hires the boob to impersonate a titled personage. Forthwith the boob is turned over to a masseur. The broker presents him to his daughter as the Earl of Distilfink. After a half hour's association with the boob, the daughter is forever cured of her hankering for nobility and the important question before her is, "How shall I get rid of him?" However, this riddle is solved by Allen, her true love. He brings the boob's wife and children to the broker's house. The wife no sooner sees the boob than she takes him by the ear, exposes him to the girl and leads him home. The broker's daughter cannot wait to accept the proposal of Allen, having concluded that just a plain American citizen is good enough for her.
- For fifty years the Dawsons and the Putnams have been engaged in a deadly family feud. Old Hen Dawson is now the patriarch of the Dawsons, and Jed Putnam is the leader of the Putnams. Dawson has an only daughter, June. There lives with him one, Wood Dawson, a nephew. In the rival family there is an only son, Joel. Joel and June were secret lovers. One day a gospel man comes into the territory and convinces the heads of the two families that their feud is ungodly. All their various henchmen are disarmed and peace and harmony is established. That is, until Wood learns that Joel Dawson is his successful rival for the hand of June. Then Wood becomes stiff-necked. He circulates the report that Joel and June have been carrying on improperly. He has words with Joel and in the general fight which follows Joel shoots and kills Wood. Both families reopen hostilities. Hen Dawson forgets his oath and sets out to kill Joel. However, when he finds Joel he finds June with him ready to elope. Tragedy is about to take place, when the gospel man forever puts an end to the long standing war of extermination. He marries Joel and June.
- Mr. Burton leaves his bride of a few weeks to go off on a business trip. In the same boarding house at which Mrs. Burton is stopping are living an adventuress and a "sport," a man-about-town, one of the smooth-tongued gentry ready to make money or marplot, as the case may be. He sets evil designs on the young matron; the adventuress divines his intentions, and the sinner becomes a saint. The adventuress realizes he will have as easy a time in working destruction with the unsophisticated, unwary girl, as Roosevelt killing a grizzly with both hands, and she determines to prevent the murder of a soul. She warns the young woman, but advice seldom justifies itself; the wise need it not, and fools don't take it anyhow. She appeals to the man, but she might as well petition Satan to become a reformer. At last, in despair, she asks them both to come to her room to talk the matter over. They agree. An unseen observer, a serious person, sedate and sober, one of the clan of humans that long to make the world better, and invariably make it worse, informs the landlady that "a man has entered Miss Winthrop's room." The irate landlady, right in her element at the suggestion of scandal, makes a formidable entrance upon the three. Miss Winthrop conceals the other woman behind a curtain, insinuating by her act that she alone is the wrongdoer, sacrificing the dearest possession of woman, her reputation, for a weak sister. They are both told to leave the house. The man departs at once and the next morning the "adventuress," a "bad" woman, goes out into an evil world, with the sweet consciousness of having done a real good in it. The husband returns. He takes the little woman in his arms, and neither knows the misery and heartache to which they both were doomed, and from which they were spared by a "bad woman."
- Elspeth Marner is a seventeen-year-old premiere danseuse. Frank Masterson is the most hated as well as the most respected critic of dramatic art in New York. When the story opens, Elspeth, flushed with applause, enters her dressing room where her mother and the maid rush to do her bidding. The next morning, in bed, Elspeth reads Masterson's scathing criticism: that her real name is doubtless Lizzie Schmitt; that she is spoiled and petulant and not at all a lady, etc. Elspeth is furious, hysterical, angry and her mother, after telephoning Masterson to tell him her opinion of him, calls in the doctor. He sees that it is only a case of jaded nerves and in spite of the mother's protestations, orders the girl away, alone. Elspeth is sent to the seashore and placed in charge of some simple fisher folk. At first, Elspeth is inclined to be willful and very trying but gradually the kindliness of Mother Burnes wins her over. Meantime, to get away from the confusion of the city life, Masterson, incognito, takes a small fishing shack at the seashore. The two meet, and neither recognizes the other. His friendship ripens; each discovers himself becoming younger, happier, gayer until on a fishing trip one day, when Elspeth is almost drowned, they realize that they are madly in love with each other. But arriving at the Justice of the Peace office, they, for the first time, learn the other's true identity. There is defiance, hesitation, petulance for a time. Then all ends happily.
- Far from the maddened throngs of the city, far from the teeming, seething city streets, in a little fishing town, lives Tess and her half-witted brother, Sam. By clam digging they earn a simple living, but life is sweet in spite of its simplicity. Right near their hut lived a young fisherman, handsome, brave, and bold, who sympathized with the girl because she had to support her semi-demented brother, who took an interest in her, a friendly interest, and no more. But the maid, in the manner of woman misconstrues his attitude and takes his friendly interest and concern for the divine spark. So she learns to love him as a woman can only love once in her life, and he is ignorant of the romantic relations she has assumed this simple friendship to be. Often human hearts suffer, and this time the warm, young heart of Tess is to feel the pang and anguish of a love in vain, for there comes to the fishing bank a city girl, accompanied by her mother and father. They meet the young fisherman and the girl is impressed by his clean-cut form, his robust health, his winning ways. She asks him to take her about the place, which he obligingly consents to do, and as they are laughing, talking and smiling, Tess follows them. Once, to avoid detection, she slipped into the icehouse, leaving the door open, intending to stay there until the two got out of sight. But Jed, seeing the door open, closes it, locking it after him. When Tess realizes her predicament, she shouts, but her calls bring no response. However, her half-witted brother, with the intuition that is a gift of all mentally effected, feels a presentiment of danger to his sister, whom he idolizes, and going to look for her, hears her cries, and going to the icehouse makes a vain effort to unfasten the door. At last he runs to the beach, where some fishermen are talking, and tells them of his sister's dilemma, and they, thinking it merely some of the boy's wild talk, refuses to assist him. Then Jed, coming ashore, hears the story and goes with Sam to see how much truth there is in it. He opens the door, and into his arms falls the unconscious form of Tess, resting at last in the arms of him whom the god of hearts had destined for the task.
- One of the most interesting and strangest beasts in the world is the sloth, a descendant of the prehistoric creatures who attained enormous size and fed upon vegetation, having no means apparently of defending themselves. This film shows this strange creature, his appearance, his extremely deliberate method of locomotion, and his constant regard for his stomach. He is continually looking at the ground and apparently figuring where his next bite is coming from. A near relative of the sloth is the giant ant eater, a toothless animal armed with enormous claws with which it is possible for him to withstand the attack of the most ferocious of the jungle hunters, the jaguar. This strange animal feeds almost entirely upon ants and inasmuch as ants live in queer places in the tropics he is provided with a long slender tongue which he can insert into crevices of trees and other entrances to ant hills. Another strange creature coming from South America is the Matamata, a hideous but amusing turtle, which attains enormous size and is provided with a head which is so grisly that it must have been designed to frighten its enemies to death.
- When but a boy he had turned his eager eyes to the wonderland westward. So with a great resolve, but little money and much advice, he bade fond good-byes to the village-folks and left his Germany, to sail across the old seas. Year after year glided by. Year after year the old villagers continued to forget the departed Hans. One day, some nine years after he had first arrived in the fairy realms, the thought anew the desire to return to the home land. To Germany he went. To the old hut of his old parents he came. It was a balmy day. Soon Hans hit upon a joke; if his parents did not recognize him he would ask for lodging as a stranger and when the fun had lived several days he would disclose his real identity. He was taken into the parents' house, the Stranger that was their son. To impress them, he took every opportunity that presented itself, and made others, to make his wealth apparent to his frugal elders, and he achieved his purpose in too great a degree. The money that was intended to awe his parents hypnotized them. In all the days of their lives they had not had the gold which each day the stranger carelessly cast away. The yellow lure entered their hearts and the crimson thoughts came to their minds and the murder of covetousness owned their hands. In detail to describe the power that stayed the murderous hand requires more than the line or two we have remaining. Suffice it to say that the secret became known to his parents, and that Hans lived, and loved, in Germany.
- City gent Rupert goes to the country for his vacation. He meets Elsie in a field of daisies, he proposes, and they are married. A few years later they drift apart and Ruper becomes enamored of another woman. With unctuous courtesy, each day at the florist's he orders his wife an expensive bouquet. Joe, a poor fellow, comes to the florist's to get his girl a cheap bouquet of daisies. Rupert, a city man, goes to the country for his vacation. There he meets Elsie in a field of daisies. He proposes to her and they are married. A few years later they drift apart. Rupert becomes enamored of a woman. With unctuous courtesy, each day at the florist's he orders his wife an expensive bouquet. Joe, a poor fellow, goes to the florist's to get his girl a cheap bouquet of daisies. By mistake the roses are delivered to the poor girl. The wife, discouraged and about to leave her husband, writes a note to that effect. The daisies arrive; she recalls the old love and dresses in her old dress, pinning the daisies on her breast. Rupert is ruined by a panic in Wall Street. When the woman he fancies calls on him at his office in the afternoon he tells her. She scorned him. Maddened, he goes home and finds the note. He is in despair. His wife enters, finds him with a revolver, and rushes to him. He tells her, then they again enact the scene of their betrothal, with the simple bunch of daisies as the silent witness.
- There were misery and poverty in those homes of the strikers, there were sickness and death. Happiness was not the issue of the strike, it was bread; not contentment, but life. It was the ancient struggle of the weak many, against the mighty few, the inefficient millions against the invincible one. It is true that they had committed the unpardonable error of being born poor, but life was strong in them and sweet to them, though it was only existence. Their mouths were hungry, their hearts were red with rage and wrong, and their hands might have become that hue, too, but for a girl. A girl who knew sorrow's misery and pain's distress, a girl who knew the meaning of love of life and fear of death, and the torture of the destitution that exaggerates the one and aggravates the other. Like a Daniel of another sex, she championed their cause. She cautioned, encouraged, guided and guarded them. She taught them patience, forbearance and fortitude. She fought with a fierce, fiery devotion. She organized meeting after meeting, and from the platform she cried their truth to the world, and emphasized the neglected fact that they had as much right to live as he who took the work of their hands and gave them hunger for reward. But the mill-owner was obdurate. It did not occur to him that these were human beings asking only the right to avoid death. At last she went to him, with the pathetic human evidence of the wrong, and pleaded for redress. The mill-owner's son saw and heard her, and something in the passionate, pleading, pleasing voice, and something in the sympathetic face, and something in the tender, thoughtful eyes arrested and interested him. He dressed in the clothes of the workman and attended the meetings. He listened to her, he was carried away by the bitter truth of her eloquence, and he saw the light and the right. He enlisted in the fight, and she learned to depend upon him as an able lieutenant and a devoted sympathizer. You know, she thought he was one of the men. The gods have a mill of their own; "they grind slow, but they grind exceeding fine." And it was decreed that the master of men meet the Master of Men. The thing that conquers conquerors, the enemy that vanquishes kings, that respects the mansion no more than the manger, entered the chamber of velvet and gilt, and summoned the mill-owner to a tribune greater than all the millions who had judged him. His son inherited the millions and their power, and he told and offered the girl all. She had almost learned to love him, but his justice and generosity completed the teaching. She gave herself to him, and he gave the millions to the millions.
- Fra Bennoni, gate keeper at a monastery, where monks daily give food to the poor, finds a rose on the gate and places it on the Virgin's shrine. One night he hears the music of the street carnival and unable longer to withstand its lure, hurries to the village. The revelers think he is one of themselves disguised as a monk. All night he watches the dances and makes merry with Floretta. In the morning comes the realization of what he has done. Hurrying back, conscience-stricken, he is surprised to find a monk at the gate. As he looks closer he sees that it is The Christus. The Fra, penitent and ashamed, kneels in adoration before The Christus, who vanishes as the monks pass on their way to the day's work.
- Frank Marston is known to the world as a successful man. His daughter Helen is engaged to Tom Farrell, a young business man. One night the young couple go to a gay party at the studio of a famous artist. Helen and her father started a game of chess while waiting for Tom and the old man goes back to the library after seeing the young folks leave. As he sits in the flickering firelight toying absently with the chess pieces in front of him, memory takes a hand and moves the pieces into strange relationship. The white queen and her knight face the black knight. As he watches the three pieces slowly change into the figures of himself, as a young man. Standing in place of the black knight and in place of the white pieces, come the forms of his old pal, Marc Bailey, and the latter's pretty Mexican sweetheart, Anita, of the years of long ago. Slowly the chessboard fades away and the scenes from the past come up before him. Marc Bailey, living in the little Mexican town of Cocholento, located a good prospect the same day that he received a telegram from his old pal, Frank Marston, that the latter had been granted a zone by the Mexican government. (A zone is a sixty-day mining option on any large tract of land, giving the holder the sole right to file on any portion of that land during that period, even when other parties have located prospects in the district.) Anita forgets Bailey's faithful love for the handsome Marston and he pretends to care for her. They dally in the southern moonlight, unsuspected by Bailey. Trusting his friend as himself, Marc shows Marston the prospect. But the streak of greed in Marston overcomes his scruples and all the friendship of years. He alone has the right to file on the land, and unknown to Bailey, he does so. But Bailey discovers the fact and accuses Marston. The latter offers to pay him for the prospect but outraged friendship rebels at this insult, and Bailey pulls his gun to shoot Marston. Anita watched the scene afraid. Thinking to stop Bailey, she throws herself in front of Marston. Too late. The bullet drives its way into her fickle heart. Bailey is overcome, for his love for the girl is greater than his hatred of Marston. He rushes to her side, throwing his gun away as he goes. She turns away from him and calls for Marston, but the latter, afraid of Bailey's vengeance, has fled. The scene fades back to the library again. On the chessboard the black knight has disappeared and the white queen is prostrate. Marston agitated by memories, pours himself a drink. He is taking it when a face appears at the window, a face distorted with hate. The face is that of Bailey. Bailey, the failure, who has drifted lower and lower, until at last he has joined a band of crooks for the robbery of Marston's house. When Bailey recognizes Marston all the old enmity is aroused. He enters the library, gun in hand. Marston, the animal hate overcoming him, throws away his gun. He must kill this man with his bare hands. Grimly and silently the two gray-haired men struggle, Bailey's hands at Marston's throat. Meanwhile in the gay studio the grim messenger of death has been a guest. Pretty Helen, reveling with the others, goes up the stairs with her fiancé to the long gallery for refreshments. Drinking to her host, she stumbles back against the weakened balustrade. It gives way and the girl is hurled to the floor below. The guests and her horrified fiancé hurry down to her, but the little life is broken. Heartbroken, they take her body back to Marston's house. As they carry her into the library, Hailey is tightening his grip on Marston's throat. The men stagger apart. With a wild shriek Marston stumbles to the girl's side. Bailey stands for a moment watching the scene. He sees that the girl is dead. His vengeance is complete, for life will be worse than death now to the man who so wronged him in that long ago past. Bailey goes out again into the snow, a failure, leaving Marston, the success, sobbing his heart away in the beautiful library.
- The young bride of a college president inadvertently becomes an opium addict.
- Mrs. Van Jessalyn-Smythe and her daughter are annoyed at the prospect unfolded by the receipt of a letter from her married sister, saying that her daughter Jennie has married Bill Simpkins, because they are expecting a distinguished visitor, Lord Brighton, on whom the daughter intends to impose all her feminine charms. However, the boob and his bride arrive. The following evening there is to be a ball in honor of Lord Brighton. The hostess sends a complete set of full evening dress to their apartment. The boob and his bride manage to get into the clothes, but in each case, the shoes are too small. They limp into the ballroom. Mrs. Smythe is disgusted with the boob's awkwardness. When the tight shoes become unbearable, the bride goes into the conservatory, and attempts to take them off. She is seen by Lord Brighton, who immediately runs to her assistance. While he is tugging at her shoe, the boob happens upon the scene. "How dare you make love to my wife," the boob roars, and chases him through the ballroom. He follows the aristocrat until he is well down the driveway, and then returns to relate the joke to his wife. The boob and his wife decide that fine clothes are not for them, and they return back to Spoonville on the first train.