- Episode 1: "The Broken Coin" Kitty Grey, a reporter, leaves her office for lunch. On her way to the restaurant she sees in an old curiosity shop half of a broken coin, inscribed in Latin. The name "Gretzhoffen" attracts her attention, and she buys the coin. On her way out of the shop she drops the papers she is carrying, which are picked up and handed to her by a foreign-looking man, who had been watching the coin before Kitty came along. Kitty goes on her way and the man enters the shop to buy the coin. He is told by the proprietor that the young lady who just left the shop bought it. Kitty, thinking she has material for a good story, forgets about lunch and goes to her room for an old article she has written regarding the poverty-stricken Kingdom of Gretzhoffen, and with the aid of a Latin grammar, translates the inscription on the coin, which reads: "Underneath flagstone of north corner torture cham he found treasures valuable s the kingd Gretzhoffen Mi." Tis arouses her imagination to such an extent that she hurries back to her office and asks the editor to give her three months to go to Gretzhoffen and locate the other half of the coin. In the meantime the mysterious looking foreigner has followed Kitty to her home, entered her room while she was at the office and ransacked everything in general, looking for the coin which Kitty, at that moment, had in a chamois bag around her neck. He leaves, disgusted. Everything ready for her departure, Kitty goes aboard the boat, where she comes face to face with the foreigner. After dinner Kitty falls asleep in her stateroom, after making sure that the half coin is safe. She awakens suddenly to glimpse the profile of a man at the porthole of her compartment. He disappears as she sits up. Realizing something is wrong, Kitty, after making sure no one is watching her, takes the coin, her passport and other valuables from the bag and hides them in her stocking. After another cautious survey she returns to bed. Sometime later she is awakened to find a hand holding her chamois bag disappear through the porthole. She runs to the porthole just in time to see the form of a man disappear around the bow of the boat. Realizing the bag contained only her handkerchief and an American half-dollar, and that the coin is safe in her stocking, Kitty locks the porthole and retires for the night. She sees no more of the strange foreigner, and arrives safe in Gretzhoffen. On investigating, with the help of the American Consul, Kitty finds that the Kingdom of Gretzhoffen is a very poor little principality, ruled by a puppet king, Michael the Second, who is under the power of a supposed friend, Count Frederick. Frederick, in reality, is the pretender to the throne occupied by the puppet, and uses Michael, under the guise of friendship, to further his own plans and to ascend to the throne of Gretzhoffen. The financial straits of the little kingdom are due to the fact that gold scripts and jewels belonging to Michael's father, the old King Michael the First, have been missing since the death of the old king, and the only clue to the missing valuables is half of a broken coin, inscribed in Latin, and given to the present king by an old servant of Michael the First's on his, the servant's, deathbed. Michael, the puppet, has, after a fashion, tried to locate the other half of the coin. Count Frederick, knowing of the coin and its value, procures it, through the aid of his valet and accomplice, Grahame, and determines to find the other half, dethrone Michael, and ascend the throne, a rich ruler of Gretzhoffen. Thanking the consul for the information, Kitty bids him good-day and strikes out for the hotel. In the meantime, Roleau, the foreigner who followed Kitty on her trip and is, in reality, a hireling of the unscrupulous Frederick, reports to his employer with the bag he has obtained from Kitty on board the liner. Frederick is greatly angered at finding the bag minus the precious half coin and beats the cringing Roleau. Frederick, quickly forgetting Roleau, sets about to find another way to get the coin. Kitty, in a taxi on her way home, sees a man stagger from the back door of a fashionable house, trying to cover his blood-stained face with his coat sleeve, and stopping her car near the man, she gets out and tries to help him.—Moving Picture World synopsis
- Episode 2: "The Satan of the Sands" Kitty meets her enemy, the international spy, now living under his own name. Count Frederick, realizes she is "up against" a hard proposition, in searching for the other half of her coin. Frederick asks Kitty to be seated. This she refuses to do and attempts to leave through the door leading to the hall, but is stopped by the entrance of another man in the employ of Frederick. She then starts for the door leading to the den, but Frederick beats her to it and, removing the key, tells her if she will turn over to him the half of the coin in her possession, he will allow her her freedom. She refuses and starts again for the door and is again stopped by Frederick, who threatens to lock her up if she does not be quiet. This is overheard by Rolleau in the adjoining room, and he tries to get to her, but the door is locked and the key is in the possession of Frederick. He is quickly overpowered by the men who have regained a little of their strength. On the other side of the door Frederick gives the man who has just entered the room a side look, and asks Kitty again to give up the coin; this she still refuses to do and, as he starts to grab her, she makes an attempt to strike him. She succeeds and sends him flying across the room; she rushes for the door, but is grabbed from the back by the man and quickly taken from the room. Frederick follows and tells her if she does not come across with the coin and stop meddling with his affairs, he will put her where she cannot do anything. The girl steadfastly refuses to give up her half of the coin and Frederick, hearing the noise in the next room and realizing that if Rolleau gets to him he may fare badly at his hands, quickly gets Kitty out of the house. Rolleau succeeds in getting into the ante-room just in time to hear Kitty, Frederick and his accomplice going down the hall. He rushes out, but can find no trace of any of them. Kitty is hurried into a cab and rushed across the desert, headed for the adjoining country of Grahoffen. With Rolleau close at his heels, Frederick employs his man to overpower Kitty, take the coin, and beat a hasty retreat. Kitty is knocked in the head and falls to the ground, unconscious, after having seen Rolleau shot by one of Frederick's men who was following him. After many hours Kitty comes to, to find herself alone on the desert, with the supposedly dead Rolleau a few feet away from her. She gets to her feet and staggers over to where Rolleau is lying, unconscious. She realizes his bad condition and the necessity for water, and making him as comfortable as she can, looks about for an oasis for his relief. Wandering about, she suddenly sees upon the skyline a caravan en route to Grahoffen. Waving her arms and running toward it, she finally attracts attention. The leader of the caravan comes to her assistance and takes them to a peasant's home in a village near the principality. Kitty, making Rolleau comfortable and promising to return at once, goes out to inspect the country. Count Sachio, of the diplomatic circle of Grahoffen, out on a hunting trip, sees and becomes interested in Kitty. They immediately start a conversation, wherein Kitty states that she is a stranger there and has an injured servant at the peasant home a short distance away. Sachio, who is an unscrupulous villain at heart, pretends to be sorry for Kitty in her predicament and asks what he can do to help her. Kitty tells him she is anxious to get back to Gretzhoffen. Sachio calls his groom, and placing Kitty on his horse and riding the groom's, he invites her to have tea at his lodge. In the meantime Frederick has returned to Gretzhoffen with the half of Kitty's coin, and pays the King another visit, hoping to get his part of the coin. The King suspects something wrong, and tells Frederick that it is in the bank with the other valuables. Frederick tells him it is no good, but that he thought it might make a nice charm. Michael laughs him off and Frederick leaves to think out a plan to get it some other way. Kitty, having made tea for Sachio, notices the other guests slowly scattering, and the sensuous looks of Sachio. Sachio, becoming bolder, tries to embrace her; she repulses him, but the brute in him is awakened and he is just about to take her in his arms when he hears someone at the front door, and releasing her, comes face to face with Rolleau. Kitty prevented a fight, and, holding tight to Rolleau's arm, leaves the lodge. On arriving at his apartment, Frederick finds an invitation for a week-end at Count Sachio's hunting lodge, and he starts quickly for the lodge. Kitty and Rolleau, on the two horses they took from the outside of Sachio's place, start across the desert, headed for Gretzhoffen, when they come face to face with Frederick and his valet. Rolleau and Kitty succeed in getting the coin from Frederick by sheer brute strength, when they are all held up by a band of outlaws. Frederick demands immediate release in the name of the King of Gretzhoffen, and the bandits, thinking Kitty is also of the court, send word to King Michael that they have one of the women of his court and by paying a large ransom he can have her. When Michael gets this message he thinks it may be one of his many sweethearts and immediately sends the money, with several of his trustworthy soldiers. A fight ensues, wherein the soldiers rescue Kitty and take her to the King, while Frederick succeeds in making his escape.—Moving Picture World synopsis
- Episode 3: "When the Throne Rocked" Kitty again meets Count Frederick, holds out to him the King's half of the coin they are both in search of. Frederick makes a grab for the coin, but Kitty quickly puts it back of her. When the King and Count Sachio enter the room she ignores Sachio entirely, but makes a quaint courtesy to the King, asking his permission to return to her hotel, telling him she is quite strong enough, after the rest she just had. The King tries to persuade her to remain at the place as his guest, but Kitty, anxious to locate the other half of the coin which Frederick's man took from her on the desert refuses. Kitty, sorry for the King in the hands of two such villains as Sachio and Frederick, and liking him for himself, starts a little harmless flirtation which the King takes rather seriously. Kitty, returning to her hotel, is snubbed by the women guests, who think her very questionable, being American, and then too, she brought Rolleau to the hotel, and "no decent woman" would do that. The next day the guests were surprised when the King's messenger came with a note for someone in the hotel. All were surprised to learn that it was Kitty, who receives an invitation to a "Black and White" ball to be given at the palace in a few days. Kitty purposely drops her invitation so the busy bodies may see it, then just as they are all looking at it, asks its return. Hurriedly having a black and white gown made, Kitty tries to locate Rolleau, whom she left for dead at Sachio's lodge, and failing to get any trace of him, she prepares for the ball. She starts to conceal the King's half of the coin on her person, but remembering her experience on the desert, is about to put it into a drawer when she hears someone sneaking along the hall. Quickly running to the door she is just in time to see the figure of a man disappear around the end of the corridor. Realizing the coin will not be safe there, she strikes upon an idea, and wrapping it into a small package, sends for a telegraph messenger and tells him to deliver it to either Kitty Gray or King Michael at the palace, at 12 o'clock sharp. That off her mind, she finds she has all afternoon and part of the evening before the ball and knowing Frederick is at the palace or at least thinking he is, she starts for his apartment, and slipping out a back entrance of her hotel, just misses one of his men who he has put there to watch her. Sneaking into Frederick's apartment she is startled by hearing his voice, and is about to turn and run back when she listens and overhears Frederick and the Prime Minister talking. Under the assumption that Frederick is a friend of King Michael, the minister tells him that the people of Gretzhoffen are going to revolt if the king does not cease his debauchery, and asks Frederick to do all that he can to have the king stop drinking. Frederick promises, but as soon as the minister has left, Kitty hears Frederick plan with his confederates to get the King drunk and have himself placed upon the throne. Kitty sneaks out, and returning to the hotel, sends a message to Michael warning him that although it may seem very strange to him, not to drink anything that night, should anyone offer him anything, to pretend to be intoxicated, and she will explain when she arrives at the ball. After sending her message, Kitty, hoping to learn more of Frederick's plans, returns to his apartment. Seeing him go, she enters his den and starts searching for the other half of the coin. In the meantime, Frederick's man who has been watching Kitty's movements, tells Frederick about the coin she has had sent to the palace and that she is at the time in his apartment. They return, find her there and lock her in. Kitty, desperate, tries to get out and warn the King about Frederick's treachery and her coin that Frederick will get, should he succeed in getting Michael drunk, but she finds every door locked and the window two stories from the ground. Frederick, sure Kitty will stay in his den until he lets her out, goes to the palace to carry out his plan, dethrone Michael and ascend the throne. Frederick at the palace, has everything in readiness for the revolution to take place that night, and goes out of his way to offer the King liquor, which he furtively pours out of the glass, when Frederick is not looking, having faith in the message from Kitty. About eleven o'clock. Kitty sees in a window across the way, her old friend and helper, Rolleau, who has been watching Frederick's windows for some time. Rolleau, seeing Kitty's plight, hangs from the fire escape by his knees and telling Kitty to jump, catches her in his hands and pulls her into his room safely. Quickly telling him that they must be at the palace at twelve, they hurry to the hotel for her gown. In the meantime, Frederick has, as he believes, gotten Michael intoxicated, and taken to a room asleep, just as the message arrives with the package Kitty sent, to be delivered to herself or King Michael, at twelve o'clock sharp. Frederick, gloating over his easy victory with the King and Kitty, is just about to take the package when a commotion is heard in the rear of the ball room, and turning, Frederick and the guests are surprised to see Kitty Gray, the American girl, walking coolly down the marble stairs on the arm of the strictly sober King Michael. Kitty smiles at the King, and with a little different smile at Frederick, takes the package from the waiting courier.—Moving Picture World synopsis
- Episode 4: "The Face at the Window" Kitty is about to open the package containing the half of the coin she had taken from the palace when Frederick tries to stop her, realizing that if the King sees the coin, he will realize its value and beat him, Frederick, to the hidden wealth of Gretzhoffen, Kitty opens the package only to find it empty. She looks at Frederick, thinking he has taken it before it was delivered to the palace, but the surprised expression on his face proves to her that he knows nothing of its disappearance. The ball proceeds and while dancing with the King, Kitty sees Sachio watching her with a very strange expression, and she immediately associates the stolen coin with him. The King, remembering Frederick's treachery in trying to get him intoxicated, and his secret meetings with the peasants outside the palace, treats him coldly. Frederick resents this as he realizes his chances for tracing the hiding place of the wealth of Gretzhoffen will be injured if he is in the bad graces of Michael. Trying to find some way to gain the good will of the King again and also to make his own treachery seem imaginary. Frederick hears the tramp of many feet on the palace steps, and, looking out, sees the peasants who had gathered to revolt, should the King be intoxicated. At first he smiles, thinking he will be the ruler should they succeed in dethroning Michael. Then his smile changes as he realizes that without the other part of the coin, he will be no better off, and unable to satisfy the starving peasants. He succeeds in getting the crowd to promise to wait a couple of months, promising them money to live on out of his own pocket, thereby gaining their good will, and, at the same time, that of Michael. Michael, on the inside of the palace, sees the peasants leaving and rushes to the door to greet Frederick and thank him for saving his life as he believes. Kitty, entering the room at that minute, is disgusted with the weakness of Michael. Kitty, leaving the room, sees Count Sachio plotting with one of the diplomats of Grahoffen. Kitty hears them mention a coin, and feels sure it was Sachio who got the coin she sent to the palace. She also hears them mention "plans" and "fortifications," and from their other conversation, she realizes they are government spies, in the diplomatic service of Grahoffen. She starts toward Michael, and then realizes the folly of telling him anything of importance, as he would not believe it or take the trouble of doing anything to prevent the trouble. The only other one interested would be Frederick, but she will not tell him. It is none of her business if Grahoffen starts war with Gretzhoffen, but she feels sorry for the peasants and decides to try some means to save them at any rate. Looking into the room, Kitty sees Sachio take out a paper and read it to the man with him, which tells of the hidden treasures of Gretzhoffen and that a coin, broken in two parts, is the only clue to it, also giving Sachio instructions to find this coin, both parts, and locate the torture chamber of the palace, and the plans of the fortifications of the same. When Sachio takes from his pocket the coin she had sent to the palace to herself, telling his man he knows where the other part of the coin is, and for him to meet him, Sachio, at his hunting lodge the next day at five o'clock. Hearing them coming, she leaves for the ballroom, not noticing a strange face looking in at the window of the room occupied by Sachio and his man. As they leave, the face appears for an instant, and then disappears, giving one who had seen it the impression that it was also interested in the coin, and would also be at the lodge. The next day Kitty and Roleau start out for Sachio's lodge to be there before he arrives. On their way they pass Frederick's house just as he and Sachio come out and drive away in a cab. They are about to pass on when they see the man, who was talking to Sachio at the palace the day before, sneak into Frederick's apartment. Realizing he must have been sent there by Sachio to search for Frederick's coin, they follow and gain an entrance through a narrow hall. Listening at the den door, they hear him send the valet away, telling him he will wait there for Frederick. As the valet leaves, he starts to search for the coin. Kitty and Roleau succeed in getting into the room, gag the man, and fixing him so he cannot reach Sachio, they make a hurried exit for his lodge. Arriving a few minutes before Sachio they get into the lodge through a window. The man whose face appeared at the window of the palace, the day of the ball, also arrives and tries to gain an entrance. In the meantime, Frederick has returned to his apartment, found Sachio's man tied and released him. After, he is gone. Frederick finds the handkerchief Kitty dropped and raises the piece of linen to his lips. The mysterious stranger goes to the outside of the window entered by Kitty and Roleau, sees then hiding behind a curtain in the small room, watching Sachio and his friends in the larger room. Realizing that they will learn the whereabouts of the coin, the man sneaks into the room, and raises a knife about Kitty's head.—Moving Picture World synopsis
- Episode 5: "The Underground Foe" Blake holds the knife over Kitty's head. Roleau turns on the man, sending the knife flying. Sachio and his men rush into the room. Sachio grabs Roleau and his friends tackle Blake. Blake seizes the coin and makes his getaway. Kitty seeing Blake rush from the room, tries to free Roleau from the hold of Sachio and his men, so they can follow Blake, but Sachio refuses to release Roleau, and Kitty whispers to Roleau to follow her to the den of the desert outlaws. Sneaking out the window Kitty tries to trace Blake, and failing, hurries to the outlaw's den, hoping for assistance from the leader. Blake succeeds in reaching his home. His pals arise to greet him. Throwing the coin he has stolen on the table to them he sinks into a chair. Kitty, remembering the way the outlaw had taken her when they held her for ransom sometime before, hurries along the same path. The den in sight, Kitty begins to feel afraid. She is about to turn back and comes face to face with an evil-looking man, one she has never seen before, and who, taking her in his arms, carries her to the den. Arriving they are greeted by all the outlaws, excepting the leader, who treats her none too kindly. Kitty becomes frightened when the leader, who, at their first meeting, had assured her that if she ever needed a friend to call upon him, does not appear. In the meantime, Roleau is held by Sachio and his men, who, missing the coin, search Roleau, and not finding it in his possession, decide Kitty has it. They hope that Kitty will return to him. Sachio becomes worried over the delay of the man he sent to Frederick's for the other half of the coin. Frederick starts to follow Sachio's man by auto to the lodge. Kitty is about to give up when she sees her former captor and later friend, the Chief of the Outlaws. The chief is surprised to see Kitty and beats two of the men who try to handle her roughly. Kitty tells him why she is there and the help she wants of him, namely, a safe conduct across the desert to Gretzboffen. This he promises, and, ordering his men to mount their horses and bring his own and one for Kitty, they start out. About this time, Sachio's man reached the lodge, with Frederick close upon his heels. Sachio reproves him for being late and not getting the coin. On the outside of the lodge, Frederick discovers the window used by Kitty, and looking in, is surprised to see his old accomplice, Roleau. In a fight that ensues between Roleau and Sachio's man, Roleau breaks his bonds and escapes through the front door. Frederick, knowing Sachio has not the coin, follows Roleau in Sachio's car, across the desert of Gretzhoffen. Kitty, with the help of the leader of the outlaws, reaches Gretzhoffen and gets upon the track of Blake. Gaining an entrance to his lair, Kitty and the outlaw leader are surprised at the number of apaches in this place. One of the members of the gang hurries in and tells of a good haul that can be made if they hurry. All leave with the exception of Blake and one man. Kitty and the leader look about for a means of entering the room. Kitty falls against the stone wall, and a portion of it moves. Kitty pushes her weight against it and it gives enough for them to enter. Her helper gets Blake under his control and Kitty hits the other fellow on the head with an empty bottle, knocking him unconscious. Meantime, Roleau, with Frederick on the back of his car, succeeds in locating the dive. Frederick, unseen by Roleau, enters the place through a back way, the same one Kitty used, and looking into the secret passage, sees her get the coin from the table and come toward him. Frederick ducks back out of her sight and closes the secret door, just as Roleau makes an entrance through the door by which the apaches left. Seeing Blake in the hands of the outlaw leader, he asks for Kitty and the leader, not knowing who he is, refuses to tell him. If he had, Roleau would have been in time to save Kitty, but as she comes through the secret passage and locks the door behind her, she turns, coming upon Frederick. As she starts to open the panel and call the outlaw leader to her rescue, Frederick picks her up and runs through the passage. In the other room of the dive, some of Blake's men return and a good fight ensues, wherein Roleau is almost knocked out. In the passageway, Frederick tries to take the coin from Kitty, but cannot, and, hearing the fight in the other room, he hurries her out of the place, hoping to get the coin when they are both in safer surroundings. Coming to the end of the passage, Frederick is about to put Kitty up through the sewer entrance when he comes face to face with the remaining apaches, coming home with a haul. He starts to go the other way and is met by the apaches who had attacked Roleau in the interior. Surrounded on all sides, he looks at Kitty and smiles as the episode ends.—Moving Picture World synopsis
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