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- Prevented from dating his sweetheart by his uncle, a young man turns his thoughts to murder.
- Hunchbacked Japanese artist Marashida, marries Jewel, the daughter of Yasakuj. Their happy married life is destroyed when the daughter of an American missionary, Alice Carroway, known as Ali-San, persuades Marashida to pose for her sculpture of the deformed god Ni-O. While Marashida's character gradually deforms, Yasakuji recognizes in Ali-San the traits of the legendary Fox Woman, who because she had no soul of her own, stole those of others, sometimes turning warriors into crazy beasts. After Jewel, to please Marashida, indulges Ali-San's demand that she be her "playmate," she suffers further humiliation when Ali-San makes her the servant in her father's mission. Finally, Jewel discards the American clothes she is made to wear and, dressed in her wedding robes, goes to her ancestors' tomb to commit harakiri. When Yasakuji climbs up Ali-San's balcony, and she sees his face in her mirror, she accidentally falls off the balcony to her death. Released from Ali-San's spell, Marashida takes Jewel's dagger from her, and they live happily again.
- John Howard Payne at his most miserable point in life, writes a song which becomes popular and inspires other people at some point in their lives.
- Helen and Manders are in love and wish to marry. Her parents object to his poverty and want her to marry Alving, a notorious rake, who is wealthy and powerful. Manders protests. The family physician also objects because of the result such a match would mean on the children, but Helen's parents laugh at these new-fangled notions. The doctor then appeals to Alving, who laughs him to scorn. Urged on by her parents, ambitious Helen, disregarding all warnings, marries Alving. Later Helen discovers a liaison between her husband and a young married woman. She contemplates leaving her husband and seeks her physicians advice, but he declines to give it. She then sees her pastor, who advises her to adhere to convention and her husband. Meanwhile, the young married woman gives birth to a child by Alving, and the physician agrees to bring the father to see it and keep the real parentage secret. Helen also bears a boy named Oswald. When Oswald is nine, Alving dies, a victim of his excesses. Oswald lives a clean life and studies art, but at times his mind seems affected. The mother remembers the doctor's warnings, but rejects them as silly. Knowing the boy has lived a clean life, however, she soon comes to accept the physician's predictions as fact, and schemes to save her son by marrying him to a sweet young girl. She picks out the daughter of her husband's paramour, and, totally unaware of the girl's parentage, draws the two young people together. They fall deeply in love and are to be wed. When the physician receives the wedding invitation, he realizes he must stop the wedding. He feels duty-bound to tell the truth, and does so to Oswald, his mother, his bride-to-be and her father. Realizing that he must protect the girl he loves and embittered by his inheritance, Oswald plunges into mad excesses. He grows to hate his father and then his mother for the past they have embedded in his nature, and his mother slowly realizes the truth of the physician's predictions. Horror stricken, she watches the gradual rotting of her son's brain. The girl, meanwhile, has retired to a convent. Against the oncoming insanity, Oswald fortifies himself with poison, but one day his mother finds him sitting on the floor, paralyzed, playing with the sunbeams, and runs for the pastor. During her absence, he succeeds in reaching the poison and mother and pastor find him dead. As her only hope of consolation, the mother turns to the pastor.
- Molly Boone's father has been sent to prison for 20 years for alleged complicity in the killing of a revenue officer. Uriah Hudson, whom she secretly suspects of having a hand in sending her father to prison, is her persistent suitor. A new schoolteacher comes to the little Kentucky village and Molly, although a grown woman, becomes one of his pupils. Lawson Keene, the school teacher also becomes Molly's suitor, and Uriah, jealous of him, betrays him into the hands of the moonshiners, declaring that Keene is a revenue officer in disguise. Molly saves Lawson from death. It is proven that the teacher is not a revenue officer but a Pinkerton detective sent there to apprehend the murderer of the United States marshal. Keene proves that Hudson committed the murder, and shortly after Molly's father is released from prison and the young couple are married.
- King rides into a Western saloon and recognizes Burns at the bar. He covers the crowd with his gun, shoots Burns, and makes his getaway. At his rendezvous, King finds himself out of tobacco and sends his companion Eagle Eye back to town to buy some. Eagle Eye discovers a reward for King outside the saloon, and the Indian, leaving to return, brings the sign with him. King at the rendezvous takes the sign from Eagle Eye, destroys it, but Eagle Eye shows he is afraid of being caught with King and leaves, after King warns him not to squeal. Taking a job on a ranch, Eagle Eye meets the daughter through a little accident to a pall she is carrying, which he fixes for her; he is infatuated. King stops at the ranch house for a drink and sees Eagle Eye attack the daughter in another part of the place. King, rushing to her rescue, beats up Eagle Eye and sends him off. For revenge, Eagle Eye turns informer and directs the sheriff to King's position. King sees them near the cliff and the shooting brings down Eagle Eye, who falls over the cliff. A duel follows between the sheriff and King. The sheriff is finally keeled over with a shot and King goes to wet his handkerchief. He leaves his gun behind, and the sheriff, reviving, covers King, and ties his hands with a handkerchief. The westerners decide to take the law in their own hands and coming on the sheriff in his cabin, eating, they take the prisoner away from him, after hog-tying the sheriff. The crowd makes for a tree, but as they arrive and are ready to string up King, the sheriff comes, after freeing himself by rolling into the hayfield and cutting bonds with a hay knife he found. The sheriff covers the crowd with his revolver and makes them remove the rope, and King tells his story. King, Burns, and Mary are making the journey over the range when they come upon an old miner's shack. They answer his cries for help, King and Mary going in. The miner is on his deathbed and before he passes away gives them the bag of gold he has hoarded. The two make Burns a third partner in their good fortune. At camp that night. Burns takes the money from King and with the only water bag in the party, steals away. After a terrible trip across the desert, Mary dies, with King attending her. Hence the swift revenge on Burns in the saloon. Back to the tree, where the westerners commend and sympathize with King, and all leave except the sheriff, who looks at King, grief-stricken.
- Seamen Enoch Arden returns home after a long absence marooned on a desert island. At home he finds his wife married to another, and though he loves her, he cannot bear to disrupt her current happiness.
- Frank Andrews is a successful businessman. He has always found pride and joy in the company of his wife, son and daughter. He suddenly finds himself enthralled by the advances of a gay young woman siren, who lives in the same apartment house as he does. So marked an influence does she have over him as time progresses that at last he quite forgets his home ties, neglects his family, and goes the way of many other men who have forgotten the meaning of paternity and blood ties. The story is advanced through many scenes enacted with the accompanying notes of New York's night life, and the denouement comes when the faithful wife discovers her husband's infidelity. At this time the mother's mind nearly loses balance, while Jane, the beautiful daughter, crazed by the grief of her mother, determines to take part in the tragedy. With revolver in hand she steals up to the apartment of the woman, but her frail nature is overcome by the temperamental anger of the woman and her mission fails. However, the errand is not fraught with failure for the father, coming in at this moment, finds his daughter being made love to by the sweetheart of the young woman, and realizes the road upon which he has traveled. When he confronts his daughter and says, "You, my daughter, what are you doing here?" The daughter answers, "My father, what are you doing here?" The realization is brought home to the father's mind that the law of moral ethics that governs a woman's life necessarily governs that of wan as well. Reformation comes in his character. He takes his daughter away with him and together they go back to their home of happiness and content.
- Georgie gets in wrong with Carmen at school through bad boy Dan, who puts on his innocent rival the blame for his own misdeeds. The two boys go into the cornfield at recess time to fight it out. There they are informed by another youngster that the straw man has come to life. Terrified, they run back to the schoolhouse. Georgie's Grandfather Truax, an old '49er, arrives in search of an escaped convict. He goes to investigate the cornfield, and Georgie follows him. Truax, with the help of his small grandson, takes the animated straw man captive. The 49er turns over the criminal to the guards, and children congratulate Georgie. Carmen is moved to kiss her hero.
- Royal Macklin, a cadet at WEst Point, is discharged for a misdemeanor, and the father of Beatrice, Macklin's sweetheart, order her to break the engagement. Macklin goes to Honduras, in the midst of a revolution, and joins the Patriot army of General LaGuerre in the fight against Alvarez and his rebels. Macklin proves his valor in battle and saves the life of General Laguerre. But Beatrice and her father, having found that Macklin was innocent of the charge that caused his dismissal, are in Honduras and have been captured by Alvarez.
- A wave of reform sweeps the country, engulfing the town of Richmond. James Stanley, a wealthy young man of fine principles and high ideals, interested in philanthropy and reform, is nominated for mayor and politicians predict an easy victory for him. Even Tom Mitchell, "boss" of the opposition, believes that he'll be elected. Mitchell bribes one of his henchmen Fred Osborne, to spy on Stanley and delve into his past. Osborne secures work with Stanley as his private secretary, but finds not the slightest flaw in his record. Working in the double capacity of private secretary for Stanley and spy for Mitchell, Osborne also finds time to carry on his own questionable work and to pay assiduous court to Stanley's attractive young wife Doris. Stanley is so engrossed in philanthropy and reform that he neglects Doris, though he truly loves her. He notes Osborne's attentions to his wife and becomes jealous. A crisis is reached when Stanley makes arrangements to speak at an important political meeting on a certain evening, forgetting that he had previously promised to take Doris to the opera that evening. She is dressed and ready to go when she finds it is impossible for Stanley to accompany her. He starts for the meeting, forgetting his typewritten speech, while Doris, piqued, and in a reckless mood, accepts Osborne's proffered escort. Mistaking Doris' forced gayety and recklessness for encouragement, Osborne presumes too far, and when Stanley returns for his forgotten speech, he finds his wife struggling in Osborne's arms. A bitter quarrel (overheard by the servants) ensues, and Osborne is ordered from the house. In his anger, Stanley refuses to listen to any explanation from Doris. He rushes off to the political meeting, where he receives an ovation. Returning home, flushed with triumph, he finds a note from Doris, stating she can no longer endure his neglect and unjust suspicions and has left him forever. He believes she has fled with Osborne. Osborne, having failed to discover anything to Stanley's discredit, Mitchell and Russell, Stanley's opponent, alarmed over Stanley's growing popularity, decides to adopt drastic measures, and they employ clever, fascinating adventuress Iris Deremer to entangle the reformer in a web of intrigue. By a decoy message, iris lures Stanley to a fashionable gambling house, which Mitchell had arranged to have raided, believing the resultant publicity and scandal of Stanley's arrest in such a place will ruin him politically. Fate takes a hand and more than Mitchell planned for, occurs. A crime is committed which is witnessed by Iris. The lights are switched off; the regular habitués of the place escape by a secret passage, and Stanley is caught and held pending the coroner's inquest. Stanley's adherents are scandalized, excitement is rife, and the daily papers fairly blister with scare-heads denouncing the "so-called reformer." The coroner's inquest is set for the day before the election, and to accommodate the crowds, it is held in the courtroom. The news of the tragedy reaches Doris in the quiet hoarding house where she is hiding. With a wife's intuition, she knows instantly he is incapable of committing such a crime and determines to clear him. Her suspicions are directed toward Mitchell. Disguised as a messenger boy she gains entrance to Mitchell's office, and overhears a quarrel between the "boss" and Iris, who calls for her reward. Mitchell, believing Stanley is done for, and no longer needing Iris' help, breaks his promise to her and refuses to pay her anything. In her anger and spurred on by the desire for revenge, Iris tells the truth (overheard by Doris), that French shot Osborne and Stanley is innocent. Pledging Iris to secrecy, Mitchell now pays Iris all she asks and she departs. Doris, in her excitement, makes a movement, which they hear, and she is brought forth from her place of concealment. Her cap is knocked off; her hair comes down, but no one knows who she is. Mitchell believes she has been employed to spy on him, and orders her locked in an anteroom. Leaving Doris tied to a chair, and locked in, Mitchell and Russell start to attend the inquest. After several fruitless attempts, Doris escapes by climbing out of a window and working her way along the ledge to the next window, which leads to another room, where she escapes to the street. Meanwhile, the inquest is being held, and things look black for Stanley. The men caught during the raid testify that Stanley and Osborne were quarreling bitterly just before the lights were switched off and Osborne was shot. Stanley's own servants also give damaging testimony regarding Stanley's quarrel with Osborne the night of Mrs. Stanley's mysterious disappearance. Mitchell and Russell, who are present, are jubilant over the proceedings. The coroner sums up the evidence, the jury is about to retire when there is a commotion in the court room, and Doris (still wearing the messenger boy's suit), rushes in, followed by two plainclothes men with Iris and French. The jury is recalled. Doris testifies. French confesses, and Stanley is cleared during a wild scene in the courtroom. A reconciliation between Doris and Stanley follows, and they are both carried from the courtroom on the shoulders of their admirers, followed by the cheering crowd. This is on the eve of election; the next day, Stanley is elected mayor by an overwhelming majority.
- A sanctimonious deacon punishes his young son for going swimming and not telling the truth about it. Taking the boy into his room he walks down to the village. A woman recently widowed, goes to collect her insurance money. On the way home she stops to do some shopping and drops her purse. The deacon, who has come to town to beg for an extension on his mortgage, is refused and is returning home in a very dejected frame of mind. He sees the purse at his feet. Knowing to whom it belongs, be cannot withstand the temptation. He takes the money and throws the empty purse away. This is found by a young chap, who picks it up to take to his wife. The widow informs the sheriff, who finds the purse in the young chap's possession. He knows nothing of the money and is arrested on suspicion. When the deacon arrives home, be finds his boy dying of pneumonia. He thinks this is a judgment upon him for his hypocrisy and deceit. He takes the money and rushes with it to the widow, confessing the temptation. The young fellow is released and exonerated and the widow, out of pity, prevails upon the hardhearted rich man to give the deacon the time he needs on his mortgage. It is not long before the boy is on the road to recovery, to his father's great joy.
- Mawby, an unscrupulous adventurer, beguiles a rich widow into marrying him. Very soon she discovers his real character. He constantly badgers her for money, which he loses at cards, and one night he wrests her purse from her, falling in a semi-drunken stupor on the couch. Mrs. Halloway, feeling a heart attack coming on; she has an incurable heart trouble, and fearing that Mawby will get possession of her estate, sits down at once and writes a will, leaving everything she owns to her daughter, Madeline, who is away at school. Suspicious, however, lest Mawby be feigning drunk to put her off her guard, she hides the will in the front of her dress. Then she writes a letter to her lawyer, asking him to come the next day for the will. Feeling faint, and gasping for breath, she staggers to the porch and falls on a divan. From there she sees Mawby pocket the letter to the lawyer, and taking the will out of her dress puts it in a secret compartment of a locket she is wearing. Her death occurs that night. After the funeral, Mawby helps himself to Mrs. Halloway's jewels. The locket, however, appearing to be of small value, he tosses it over to Madeline. Pressed for money and fearing that if the missing will is found he will be penniless, Mawby tries to inveigle Madeline into marrying him. Failing in this, he contrives to have her lured to a lonely roadhouse, coming along just in time to save her reputation, if she will promise to marry him. Realizing that he is at the bottom of her predicament, the girl indignantly refuses, and is marched to jail by the police, who have raided the inn. Mawby seeks to clinch matters by wiring The Evening Statesman the details of her arrest. The city editor assigns Muriel Manning to the story. Muriel and Madeline discover in one another old friends, and Madeline confides everything to the young reporter. While they are talking in the prison cell, the locket drops from Madeline's neck, and the will is disclosed. A few days later, when Mawby tries to put over a forged will, Muriel produces the authentic document. A water-mark on the false paper provides conclusive evidence. Mawby is jailed, and Madeline becomes her mother's sole heir.
- Molly Kite, the neglected child of a drunken father, rouses the sympathy of the minister, Mr. Shipton, who also teaches the school at Dead Tree. The minister-school-master persuades some of his parishioners to give the girl decent clothes, and he coaxes her into attending school. At first unruly and sullen, she gradually comes to feel that the minister is her best friend. One day she happens to see him meet a strange girl on the street. Apparently overjoyed, he kisses the stranger. Molly rushes into the house, tears off her new clothes, and vows she will never go to school again. Then her primitive jealousy aflame, she makes her drink-crazed father promise that he will aid her in a plot to kill the minister. The next day Mr. Shipton meets his wayward pupil, in answer to a note he has received from her in an out of the way place. Molly's father is lurking near with his gun. He threatens the minister's life, but, maudlin with drink, has not the will power to pull the trigger. Mr. Shipton talks to the man, calms him and at last takes him home. Meanwhile Molly has discovered that the girl of whom she was so bitterly jealous, is the minister's sister. She begs the minister's forgiveness.
- Laura Bell runs away from her country home to the city, where she becomes a clerk in a department store. Her brother, Frank, follows her to New York, but is unable to place her. He becomes interested in a settlement house and obtains a position in social service work. Mary Ashton, daughter of the proprietor of the store where Laura works, is shocked to find that her father pays his clerks starvation wages. Matters are brought to a head when Mary rescues Laura, who drops to the street with exhaustion due to ill nourishment. Taking her home in her motor car, Mary sees for herself how the girl is forced to live. She pleads with her father to better his employees' condition. But he stubbornly refuses. Mary leaves her luxurious home to become a working girl herself, and weeks later, her father discovers her in a shirtwaist factory. Meanwhile, she has met Frank Bell at the settlement house. Their interests are identical. One day Laura's landlady comes to the settlement with word that Laura is dying. Mary and Bell both go to see her, and thus the latter discovers that she is his own sister. Bell compels Ashton, at the point of a gun, to go to Laura's bedside. The doctor says that blood infusion alone will save the girl's life. Her brother's heart so weak, but Mary to recompense for her father's sins, volunteers, unknown to him. After the operation, he learns that she is in a critical state and may die. The criminality of his methods is now brought home to Ashton. In gratitude for his daughter's recovery, he changes his policy toward his employees.
- An old farmer lives in the country with his wife and daughter. One day a banker from the city comes along, sees the wife and is infatuated with her. He persuades the farmer's wife to leave with him for the city. The old farmer comes in the house and finds a note which she has left, saying that she is going to divorce him and marry the banker. The old farmer vows that he will trace and find them in order to be avenged. Later there is a murder committed. A policeman on the beat imagines that he hears a scuffle. He looks at the clock in the tower and sees that it is 11:30. He hears no more of the noise of the scuffle, and thinks he must have been mistaken. The next day the same policeman is standing on a corner talking to one of the detectives from the central station, when the old farmer rushes madly up to him and says that the banker has been killed. Thereupon the detective goes and investigates the case. He calls the coroner and presents evidence that the lover of the old farmer's daughter, who is now grown to womanhood, is the guilty party, he having been seen with a poker in his hand by the housemaid. Also suspicion is thrown upon the butler by the detective finding a button from the coat belonging to the butler. The coroner orders the butler and the lover held for the murder. The detective decides to look further into the case and investigates the spot where the murder took place, and finds upon the ground the imprint of a man's hand, which looks as though it had got there by a man putting his hand out to save himself in falling. The little finger in the imprint upon the ground shows that that finger was mangled in some manner. The detective takes these findings into the house and begins to examine the hands of those suspected of the murder, and finds that they are not the parties who made the print upon the ground. He then goes out to examine the body of the banker and finds that neither of his hands has a mangled finger. The old farmer comes through the arch from the living room of the house, and the detective asks him for a match, with which to light his cigar. He then notices that the owner of the mangled finger is the old man. This clears the name of the lover and of the butler, and the old farmer, who had been failing in health for a number of years after the death of his wife, is suddenly attacked by a git of coughing, and his life passes out.
- M'sieu' La Rogue, a fencing master, conducts a salle d'arme and is raising a young nephew. A woman dies in an apartment above and her daughter, a playmate of the nephew's, is taken in by La Rogue and they grow up together. When grown, they fall in love and the girl is studying music. At the studio, the girl meets one, Marode, a roué and an expert duelist, from Paris. The nephew is a bit of a swordsman himself, being an assistant to La Rogue. Marode is attracted by the girl and seeks her favor. The nephew hears of it and knows of Marode's character. There is a quarrel, a challenge, and Marode is to meet the boy. La Rogue has been ill and is partly paralyzed. He is wheeled in his chair to witness the duel, during which the nephew is wounded. The old man, shocked into life by the sight of his boy's hurt, rises and engages Marode in the duel and kills him. The girl and the nephew then renew their love and are married.
- The dear old grandma has come to Red Riding Hood's home, here with a present for her grandchild which she has made herself. This is a beautiful hood made in granny's cleverest and most loving way. Little Red Riding Hood is charmed by it, and expresses her joy freely. Granny then goes home to her lonely hut in the woods, escorted by her niece. One beautiful autumn afternoon little Red Riding Hood is sent by her mother to take some goodies to Grandma. She tip toes on her way, but grows tired and sits to rest under a tree. She stops and dreams the well-known story: How a wolf in the guise of a friendly dog came and asked her where she was going. She told him, and the said wise wolf sped to granny's cot using shorter route. Arriving there he satisfied his wolfish appetite on poor grandma's aged carcass and donning her night cap, took her place in the bed. Little Red Riding Hood appears and enters the bedroom, gladsomely exhibiting her presents. The wary wolf, after a confidential chat, jumps at her. She screams, her father, the woodsman, and his trusty men rush in, dispatch the wolf and save her. Awakened suddenly by her own screams Red Riding Hood cannot break the spell of that awful dream. So she goes timidly to the cottage, peeks cautiously in at the window, finding granny alive and well.
- "The Hunchback" earns a scanty living as a tinker, traveling from house to house, but on account of his deformity, there is no one who cares for him. Although a great lover of children, they flee at his approach. Taking pity on a little girl whose doll has been broken, he spends all his earnings to replace her plaything, and in consequence, the people with whom he boards, order him out. Tired and despairing, he gets, unobserved, into a freight car, and is carried to a western mining town. There the wanderer finds friends in a miner and his little girl. An accident renders the little girl fatherless, and the hunchback brings the child to womanhood. As the years pass the cripple grows to care for his ward, but when he tells her of his love, he finds that it is not returned. The girl falls in love with a young prospector, and the jealous hunchback seeks to take his life, and then weakens in his resolve. Later the prospector is in deadly danger and the hunchback decides to let him die. But when he recalls a promise he made to the girl's dying father and of his own desire for happiness, he makes the sacrifice and saves the life that means so much to her.
- Elmer Kent is a clerk in a large establishment, and earns fifteen dollars a week. He supports his sickly mother, and every cent of his salary is required to make both ends meet. The heaviest expense is the payments on the cottage which his father, before his death, partially paid for. Recently more money than usual has gone for necessities for his mother who has had an ill turn, and the real estate agent sends him word that payments overdue must be remitted the following day or the cottage will be seized. The next day is Saturday and pay day. Elmer hurries with the money to the agent's office only to learn he has gone to the beach. He follows, him but at the summer resort is waylaid by a fellow clerk. Wirt Hadley, who introduces him to two pretty girls. They have a good time, Hadley footing the bills until the girls begin to pass remarks about Elmer's being a "tightwad." Discouraged, irritated by their ridicule, and despairing of finding the agent, he treats everybody to a sumptuous meal at the café. There Carr, the agent, sees Elmer, forms his own opinion of the spendthrift, and when the young man applies on Monday for an extension, sternly refuses. Elmer and his mother are evicted. Meanwhile the girls enjoy life at the beach, where they are summering, all unconscious of the misfortunes their careless twitting of a sensitive youth have caused.
- John Sinclair was the son of a sturdy old ranchman who had proved his courage in the Indian fight of the early seventies, but John was destined never to follow his father as a fighting man, for an accident in infancy had doomed him to be a cripple for life. Mary Shirley, a pretty girl who lived on a neighboring ranch, was a great favorite with the Sinclairs, and John worshipped her. A new foreman came to the Sinclair ranch; Mary Shirley met him and liked him; the feeling she had for him was not the friendship that she gave to John, but unselfish and devoted love. They became engaged. The sheriff's posse captured the leader of a band of desperadoes, due entirely to the efforts of the foreman. The outlaw a few weeks later escaped from prison, and determined to wreak vengeance upon his captor. He made his way to the ranch, accompanied by some of his band, and found it deserted, save for the foreman and the crippled son. They ignored John as unworthy of consideration and made their way to the bunkhouse, where the foreman was bound and gagged. The bunkhouse was set afire and the outlaws prepared to leave. John had seen the band approach and knew their object. At first he exulted over the fate which was to befall the man he hated, then he thought of Mary and his feeling changed. Hastily he hobbled to the bunkhouse, but before he could reach it he was seen by the outlaws and fired upon. They rode away, leaving him badly wounded. But despite his growing weakness, buoyed up by the love for a girl who preferred another, he crawled into the burning house and dragged forth the foreman to safety. The Sinclairs, returning from town, saw the flames in the distance, and hastened to their home, accompanied by Mary. There they found the foreman unhurt, and heard from his lips the story of John's heroism. The cripple's life was ebbing away, but it was a happy end, for Mary kissed him and told him with a sob that he was the bravest man she ever knew.
- Anita, a Mexican girl, falls in love with John Gordon, an American mine superintendent hated by her brother Pedro. Pedro plans Gordon's assassination. Anita conceals in her clothing a black bean, and feigning that Gordon has done her wrong, goes to her brother and begs to be allowed to kill the American. As she has expected, Pedro tells her that the assassin will be chosen by lot, and then he passes round a hat full of beans, all of which are white save one, which is black. Anita surreptitiously takes the black bean out of her waist and the duty of planting the bomb which is to destroy her lover is accorded to her. After she disguises herself as a man and rides off, Pedro discovers the black bean left in the hat. Suspicious of Anita, he follows her on horseback. She does her best to evade him, but is caught and forced to plant the bomb, but she has secretly removed the fuse. Meanwhile Gordon finds the unexploded bomb, and looking for its thrower, he sees Anita struggling with Pedro in the distance. Gordon arrives just in time to save the girl's life, and the brother and his horse, falling over the cliff, are killed.
- John Stafford is unjustly arrested on the eve of his marriage for the murder of an old gentleman whose body was found in his guardian's library. The young man is taken to the penitentiary, but eludes his guards and escapes. His sweetheart engages a noted detective who finds a small Hindu image in the hand of the dead man. Following this clue the detective learns that the image is symbolical of a Hindu secret sect known as "The Black Adepts." He trails two Hindus and finally arrests them. He finds in their possession the other part of the image in which is secreted a valuable ruby. Young Stafford is recaptured, but is saved from execution when news of the arrest of the Hindus is telegraphed to the penitentiary.
- Nell and her old grandmother are poor and alone in the world and finally leave their old home and wander into the country in search of work. They reach a little country town and apply at a boarding house for work. Nell agreeing to work for nothing but board and lodging for herself and "Granny." This Sears, the proprietor, agrees to, but Nell is worked to death at waiting on table and other chores, and Sears is very unkind to her and "Granny." Graham Wilkes, a wealthy young man from the city, on the outs with his father, comes to the boarding house and becomes interested in little Nell, much to Sears' disgust, the latter redoubling his harsh treatment of Nell. Finally they can stand it no longer and leave. But en route Nell overhears a plan to rob Sears and Wilkes by a couple of tramps, and in spite of her being badly treated by the former, she decides to warn them and prevent the robbery, which she does. Sears now repents of his treatment of her but Wilkes has become interested and Nell turns to him for care and comfort for herself and Granny.
- Abigail, the pretty daughter of a village school teacher, and Jared Guild are lovers. Bertha comes from the city to visit in the little town. Her charms prove too strong for Jared, who neglects Abigail to dance attendance upon the new belle. The country girl is broken-hearted, though she hides her sorrow from her erstwhile sweetheart. A wealthy young planter, however, soon cuts out Jared with Bertha. Young Guild recognizes the city girl's mercenary motive, and he and Abigail are happily reunited.
- "The Woman Hater's Club" is composed of seven dashing young fellows who have been disappointed in love. "The Man Hater's Club," composed of seven beautiful ladies, hire a house next to the man's club. Universal hatred of the opposite sex is cultivated until sweet little Cupid wakes up one fine morning, and goes forth from his leafy bed in the woods, bent upon mischief. Ethel starts from a nearby city to visit the Woman's Club, but misses her train, and arrives late at night. Cupid arranges things so that she gets into the cellar of the Men's Club by mistake. She is discovered by the butler and escorted by the horrid men to the Woman's Club. Cupid sees his chance and works like a beaver. He succeeds in arranging the couples to his liking, and, after four days of hard work, drives them all off to church in a body, where they are married.
- Harry is a wild youth; he drinks a bit and gambles. His father is wealthy and tries to curb the boy, but is unable to. His ward, a girl of fifteen, too young to really love, but who greatly admires Harry. He, being older, is very condescending; she, mutely adoring. One day after a debauch, Harry quarrels with his father, and much to the sorrow of the ward and his father, runs away. Some years pass with no word from Harry. The ward, now grown, loves Harry deeply and repels the advances of a young swain of the neighborhood. The father finally dies, leaving a will in favor of Harry, provided he returns within a certain time. In case he does not appear within that time the money goes to the ward. On the last day of grace Harry turns up from his wanderings, very shabby, very much in love with the memory of the ward, and still swaggering as of old, in spite of his shabby, almost ragged clothes. He learns of the will and its conditions. He sees the ward and is madly in love with the girl, the promise of whose beauty as a child is now more than fulfilled in womanhood. He sees (as he mistakenly thinks) her lover kissing her hand, and is angered. He wants her himself, as well as the fortune. However, he keeps his presence a secret. He is ragged, unkempt, unfit for such a girl. The old swaggering manner sloughs off and he goes away, leaving his father's ward to the fortune she deserves and to the prospects of a worthier marriage.
- Miriam is the daughter of a rancher and lives alone with him on the ranch. Miguel, a Mexican "hand," is a little better than the average of ranch hands, although to Miriam and her father he is only a "greaser." Miriam, however, is kind to him on occasions and he dares to dream of her. Miriam never knows of it, however, although her father catches him kissing a rose she has dropped and kicks him for his presumption. One day comes a young man, Clifton, to the ranch, returning from a hunting trip through the nearby hills. He is hurt nearby, and being found by Miriam, is cared for at the ranch. On his recovery, he is loath to go, having fallen in love with Miriam, much to the jealousy of Miguel, who plans revenge on his successful rival. During a trip to town, Clifton gets into trouble and kills a man quite accidentally and flees. Miguel has been a witness to the affair and delights in the lynching party's pursuit of Clifton. However, he witnesses the meeting between the girl and her sweetheart, and determines to save him for her. He trades clothes with Clifton and allows the posse to see him. Pursuing the fleeing Miguel, they call on him to halt. Miguel, disobeying, is shot for Clifton and Clifton is saved to the girl who loves him. The girl and Clifton, on seeing Miguel brought back dead, realize the sacrifice he has made for both of them.
- Connolly enjoys a good breakfast with his wife, Mary, and his children, who are very dear to him. He then reports at police headquarters as usual. He is detailed on the job of catching a man, who the night before has committed a safe robbery and all but murdered a night watchman. The watchman is able to identity the thief's picture in the rogues' gallery, and Connolly, taking his life in his hands, sets out on his trail. He knows Smitty's hang-out, and disguising himself as a yeggman, succeeds in finding him and a pal. A fierce fight ensues, in which the thieves make their getaway and lead the detective a chase to Smitty's tenement. Connolly finally outwits the crooks, however, and turns them over to the authorities. He then dresses the wounds he has received, changes his clothes and goes home to supper. Not a word of the perils he has undergone passes his lips to Mary and the children.
- An author with talent has trouble in disposing of it; another author prostitutes his gifts by writing and selling books that show a wrong, distorted viewpoint of life. The poor author refuses to write such bad books and severely reprimands his daughter, whom he finds just starting to read one. Times become very hard and he is tempted to sacrifice his ideals. He writes such a morbid novel and is ashamed. He falls asleep, exhausted, across his desk. He dreams his book is in covers and that a little girl, tired of poverty and lack of good times, has read it. Out of its pages step the little girl and man, characters of the story, and take the poor girl, May, along with them to show her life (according to the author), as it should be lived. The author sees in his dream. May ruined and disgraced by the man in his book. She is denied refuge by her mother. Passing a photographer's, sees there a photo of the author. She destroys this in a rage and tells the owner that he (the author) has betrayed and ruined her. She then goes to her room and turns on the gas. The dream is over, the author still asleep. His daughter tiptoes in and takes his manuscript from the desk and starts to read. The author wakes, his dream still vivid, and sees his daughter starting to read his manuscript. He snatches it from her, telling her that it was not finished. After she has gone, "That is the best ending," he says as he watches it burn. Then he sits down at his desk again and starts to write a better and sweeter and truer story.
- A shoemaker with a tiny shop in a large city was able, after many sacrifices, to send to Italy for his sister and motherless child. One little girl, the daughter of one of his customers, presented him with a doll for little Marie and it was carefully put away with a wonderful pair of tiny shoes. But from the day of the coming of the steamer from Italy the shoemaker was a changed man. His sister came alone with the sad news that little Marie had died upon the ocean. The new country did not agree with Rosa, and before long she, too, had passed away. The happy shoemaker became morose and ugly. The children came no longer to his shop and their parents passed by to other cobblers who were more courteous and less ill-tempered. Soon he was without work and therefore hungry and penniless. In this condition he decided to end his life. Just as he was about to kill himself a package came addressed to his dead daughter from a child in the neighborhood who had moved away and did not know of his loss. The message came as from the dead and the shoemaker recognized it as a token of hope. He threw open his doors, summoned the poor children to have their shoes mended free of charge and gave his little Marie's shoes to a barefoot beggar.
- At the expiration of their prison term, Sampson and Wilson separate; Sampson determined to lead an honest life in future, Wilson to follow his old life. Some years later Sampson (now a prominent businessman) is accompanying his daughter. Betty, home on the boat from an art school abroad. On board is Wilson, a dangerous and much-wanted smuggler. Conners, a Secret Service man, is on his trail. On a previous trip Conners saved Betty (then traveling alone) from the unwelcome attentions of Wilson, and they are attracted to each other. Wilson sees Sampson, recognizes him, and on the threat of exposing his past, forces him to agree to carry in the diamonds he is now carrying concealed in a hollow cane. Sampson agrees and Wilson suggests that he sew them into the top of Betty's hat. Conners oversees the act. He plans to save Sampson and the girl and still perform his duty and get Wilson and the gems. He takes the gems and waits until the boat lands. He then hires a porter to upset Wilson, who drops his cane in his fall. Conners gets hold of it and quickly slips the gems into it and lays it back on the deck, from where Wilson picks it up and strolls off the boat, confident that his diamonds are safely off in Betty's hat. He is searched on the dock and, much to his surprise, the gems are found in his cane. Conners later marries Betty.
- O'Tsuru San Nuaki, the daughter of Gen. Nuaki. a distinguished Japanese army officer, has been trained from childhood to consider her country's interests above everything. Ned Winthrop, a young American, who has invented a new torpedo boat, which is the superior of any in use, visits Japan and is entertained by Gen. Nuaki, who seeks to induce him to sell his invention to Japan. Winthrop refuses to sell to any government but his own, but the patriotic Japanese, seeing that money will not tempt Winthrop, notices that his daughter, the beautiful O'Tsuru San, has attracted him, and resolves to secure the plans of the torpedo boat through her agency. 'The girl agrees to marry Winthrop for the sake of her country, and leaves with him for America. In America O'Tsuru San is kindly greeted by Ned's mother, and the Japanese girl's love for her husband grows stronger day by day; the oath she gave to secure the plans of the torpedo boat for Japan becomes distasteful to her. An agent of the Japanese government enters the household and tells O'Tsuru San that the plans must be secured and turned over to him. After a great straggle she resolves to aid her country, tricks her husband, and turns over the precious document to the agent. Winthrop discovers his wife's deception and curses her. The girl, broken-hearted, realizes that love for her husband is greater than love for her native country. She pursues the Japanese agent, overtakes him and regains the plans, after a terrible struggle and is rescued just in time by Ned, who realizes for the first time his wife's temptation and the love for him which was stronger than the oath of O'Tsuru San.
- Just as Dennison handed to Richard Borden a curiously engraved revolver to examine, Sinclair mentioned the name of a girl about whom he had been talking. Borden demanded a retraction and an argument followed, and ended by Borden emptying his weapon point blank at Sinclair, who drops. The fourth member of the little group, Fred Dexter, Borden's cousin, whisks Borden away in his auto, telling Borden he believes he has killed Sinclair and hiding him in Dexter's apartments. Cut off from everyone, Borden is told by Dexter after a fortnight that Sinclair has recovered and is seeking Borden, vowing vengeance. Dexter offers to exonerate Borden by going on the stand and relating the story that led Richard to shoot Sinclair, but Borden will not have the girl's name thus published broadcast. Dexter then urges Borden to escape, suggesting New Zealand. Borden is obliged to give up his painting in New Zealand, as it would betray his whereabouts, but secures a position as illustrator on the Wellington Argus, under an assumed name. Some eight months later, Carr, the city editor, shows Borden a cut in the N.Y. Herald which bears striking resemblance to himself. Borden confesses his identity and tells his story. The Herald item states that Dexter had identified a man found dead in the woods as his cousin, Richard Borden, missing for several months, and Dexter being next of kin, the item continues, inherits the fortune of Francis Borden, South African millionaire, who died on July 18 of the previous year, willing his fortune to Borden. Carr unfolds his theory. At the time of his uncle's death, Borden was traveling across the Atlantic. Dexter planned a stag party immediately on Borden's arrival to keep the news away from him, and with the other two as fellow conspirators carried out the shooting incident. The revolver was loaded with blanks and Borden was whisked away before the true damage was learned by him. Dexter knew Borden would fly the country rather than allow the girl's name to be brought into the case. The trio of conspirators when faced with the facts finally confessed. It was shown that Dexter was in correspondence with Borden when he identified the unknown corpse as that of his cousin. While Borden is screened, the three to escape prosecution choose the alternative of expatriating themselves.
- A dramatic comparison between the mating habits of animals and the way humans choose their own partners.
- The little music teacher has a hard time making enough money to pay her bills. A month's rent is due. Riding on the car she discovers that she has forgotten her pocket book, and is forced to borrow five cents from a handsome man sitting next to her. They exchange cards so that she can return the borrowed nickel. The man becomes interested in her and, although a great musician, pretends not to know the first rudiments of music so that he can take lessons from the little music teacher. After she has given him several lessons, she discovers a newspaper article about his wonderful piano recital given before a large audience the night following one of her lessons in which she has had great trouble teaching him some five finger exercises. Thoroughly angry and humiliated, she refuses to see him again, and it is only after he has declared his love and given it as the reason for his deception that she puts a lighted lamp in her window as a signal that he is forgiven.
- Marcus Down makes only $15 a week. He has always paid spot cash for everything, until he meets Mamie New and they are wed. Then Mamie shows him how simple it is to get things on the easy payment plan. At first everything is rosy and matters go very smoothly for the young couple. Then the collectors begin to get busy and finally Marcus has nothing left, not even his bride, for the parson comes to take her for his fee, which had been arranged for on a ten cents a day basis. The story which is told in a series of clever quatrains has a moral which is a good one.
- Dr. Farrell loves with a consuming selfishness his only child, Naida. When the young men begin to pay her too marked attentions, Farrell takes his daughter to a beautiful, but lonely place on the California coast, where he can be reasonably sure of keeping her to himself. But the romantic fates are not to be so easily forestalled. Tom O'Day arrives at Santa Lina to open his bungalow. He and Naida meet and fall deeply in love. The doctor discovers that Santa Lina is built over the buried remains of an old leper colony. A few days later he and Naida come upon O'Day, who has just unearthed, near his cottage, a man's skull. O'Day takes a whimsical delight in his find, carries it home and puts it among his treasures. When the doctor discovers that, on account of his opposition, the two young people are plotting a runaway match, he takes a terrible step. O'Day is suffering from a rash on his wrists. It is evident to Farrell that he has been poisoned by nettles or ivy. But the doctor tells him that he is a leper, that, probably, the skull has conveyed to him the disease. O'Day, in an agony of despair, but unwilling to take the coward's way, rushes to his motor-boat to sail at once for the isolation island. Naida runs after him. He tries to escape. The girl flings herself into the water, and Tom is obliged to take her into the boat to save her from drowning. The two start on their way together. But, before they reach the leper colony, Dr. Farrell overtakes them. He confesses his untruthful diagnosis. Realizing now what her love for Tom means to Naida, the father withdraws his objections and the young folks are married.
- The Baldwins had visited many strange parts of the earth, but never one that was quite so strange as that in which they now found themselves. The innkeeper told them when they set out that morning to visit the rocky fastnesses of Wildman's Land that there was no danger. It is true there were traditions that a queer race of primitive people had at one time inhabited the dark caves of this wonderful region, but no living white man had ever seen them and they were believed to be myths. It was a weird and beautiful prospect that greeted the Baldwins as they reached the point of ascent into the unexplored country. On a grassy knoll they prepared and ate their lunch and then, before commencing the hazardous climb, they rested for a while under the shade of a giant rock. Little Harry, their only child, was romping about and they warned him not to venture too far lest the wild men should catch him. It seemed to Mrs. Baldwin but a moment before that she cautioned the boy and yet now he had disappeared. The anxious mother went in search of him. Far up in the rocks she continued her way, when to her unspeakable terror she perceived that the stories of wild men had been no invention of fancy. Harry was in the clutches of a creature, half beast and half human. Inspired with the courage of desperation, Mrs. Baldwin rushed to the rescue of her offspring, but she was no match for the fierce savage. Beaten back, she fled to her husband for aid. But now the powerful males of the tribe appeared. They attacked the frantic parents from all sides. Mr. Baldwin succeeded in killing three of them, but in the end was overcome and fell a victim to their primitive fury. All this time the wild female clung to little Harry. At last the frenzied mother thought of her child's doll-baby. It was apparent that the female beast was holding Harry as she might have held her own offspring. Perhaps she had lost her own little baby. The doll baby might deceive her. Feverishly Mrs. Baldwin ran back to the camping place, found the doll and returned to the creature who held Harry captive. Casting the doll to the wild woman, Mrs. Baldwin scarcely breathed as she watched the result. The plan worked. The savage mother dropped little Harry and sprang toward the brilliantly-clothed wax figure. Seizing it in both hands she held it close to her breast. Little Harry, thus freed, ran to his mother, but alas, it was too late. One of the giant men rushed to Mrs. Baldwin and was about to dash out her brains when she awoke, only to find little Harry pounding away on her head to arouse her from her slumbers. It had been a dream, but all so vivid that she insisted on their immediate departure from this weird region of the world.
- Mary has been invited by friends to officiate at a charity bazaar as fortune teller. Her brother invites his artist friend Jack to pay them a visit, with covert match-making intentions regarding him and his sister. On the way home from the bazaar the auto breaks down and Mary in her gypsy costume decides to walk on. Jack arriving by train also decides to walk. On the way he spies a gypsy camp. Further on he encounters Mary, who has hurt her ankle. He is smitten by her beauty and asks her if she belongs to the gypsy camp he has just seen. She says no and escapes, dropping a side comb. He picks it up and decides to find her again. He comes to the house and meets the family, including Mary, but does not recognize her in her ordinary costume. He goes in search of the camp, but it has obeyed the calling of the highway, and flown. Mary by this time learns to love this handsome guest, but cannot understand his strange conduct. By accident she finds her comb in his pocket and divines the delightful truth. She therefore plans a masquerade party. He attends and on a seat under an ancient tree pops the ancient question in a deluge of rain.
- The country boy, despite the advice of a fellow-townsman, goes to the city, where, after an encounter with a motion picture holdup man, is engaged as property boy in a studio. His fellow-townsman comes to the city when he learns that his wife, from whom he has become estranged, is dying. After his wife's death the countryman falls in with his wife's worthless brother and attempts to rob the house where the country boy is living. The landlord's daughter, who has been a kind friend to the country boy, calls for help when she sees the two men trying to make off with money which her father has entrusted to her. The country boy saves the girl from the tramps, and secures the release of his fellow-townsman, who promises to lead a better life in future.
- In the attic of her home, an old lady comes upon the high chair of her children. The incidents of her life pass in visions before her. She recalls her home-coming as a bride, the happy years with her husband and growing children. The first great sorrow, the death of her only daughter, is lived over again. Then she sees her favorite son, Jack, leaving home to satisfy his longing for adventure. The call to arms takes husband and elder boy from her, the former never to return. Sam marries Sylvia Lee and goes away to build up a fortune in the city. Recently, she has visited him and his beautiful young wife. Sam has urged her to come and live with them, but the old lady has decided that their household, after all, never can be home to her. So she finds herself back now in her own cottage, peopled with precious memories. As she sits, alone, brooding over the past, she hears steps on the stairs. A tall figure crosses the dusky attic room in two strides, and clasps the old lady in his arms. It is Jack, the adventurer, home from sea. Then, over the old high chair, mother and son exchange laughter, tears and kisses.
- Mary the tomboy, and Owen, the sportsman, have equally an aversion for the opposite sex. Although pursued by many charming ladies, Owen eludes them and steals off to his favorite trout stream, which divides the two estates. Mary is also annoyed by many admirers, among whom is a poet, but she ingeniously gets rid of all only to meet her fate at the trout stream in which Owen fishes industriously. Meeting there one day, Owen orders Mary off his side of the stream, where she has comfortably ensconced herself. But alas! Cupid has lost his opportunity and the die is cast. Mary's uncle, although seemingly severe, has a tenderness for an interesting spinster of uncertain age. Mary surprises her uncle with the spinster and shows emphatically, in various ways, her dislike of the proposed match. Uncle, while appearing severe on Owen's suit, plans to get Mary married off, at the behest of the spinster lady, and succeeds in his scheme. Owen and Mary elope with the aid of a long ladder and an automobile and (we are told) lived happily ever after.
- May and her younger sister, Carol, live in a small town. May is the more lovely of the two, but Carol is wooed by Frank, a country boy. George, a city man, comes to town on a visit, falls in love with Carol and wins her away from Frank. Carol is pleased with his attentions and poor Frank is brokenhearted. Calling one day to see Carol, George meets May and falls madly in love with her, and finally runs away with her and they are married. Carol, in despair, turns back to Frank and they are married, and a year later a baby is born. In the meantime, May and George have been living in another town. May is about to become a mother. George brings her to her own home for the interesting event and her child is soon born, but is still born. Crying for her baby, the physicians fear to tell her and are forced to try and find a baby to take its place until the wife is strong enough to bear being told the truth. Carol is approached and at first refuses but finally, for her sister's sake, consents and May is made happy. Carol misses her baby and May refuses to let her bother with "her" child and Carol is frantic but dare not tell the truth. Finally May overhears the truth from the doctor and nurses' conversation and takes the baby back to her real mother, and the sisters are reconciled.
- Frank Hastings, unjustly convicted of Darrell's crime, the robbing of Jason Ferguson, effects his escape from the penitentiary, and under compulsion, Darrell's escape, too. Without revealing his past, he establishes himself in life and marries, but is driven from town by Darren, who attempts to blackmail him. In New York he patents a time lock and becomes rich. When Darrell locates him again he submits to blackmail, but rebels when Darrell and another burglar call on him to open a safe with his time lock. Finally he goes with them, opens the lock and then, when the thieves are inside the vault, slams the door shut and leaves them there to suffocate. It is Saturday night and they will not be found till Monday morning. His wife, Mary, notices his manner, however, and gets his secret out of him. She forgives him for his past, but insists he shall not be a murderer and persuades him to telephone the police. With the president of the bank and the police, Frank goes to the bank and opens the safe. Meanwhile, in the vault, Darrell has fought with his pal and killed him, and when the door is opened be is shot and killed in an attempt to escape. Dying, he confesses all the wrong he has done Frank.
- Waldo and the baby go on an outing to the beach with their nurse, but Waldo just consumes much learning from his book wherever he goes or wanders. Nurse goes off with the auto driver and leaves the studious one in charge of the baby. This gives Bob and Tilly a chance. Bob is a pirate chief and his crew consists of Tilly and two Black slaves, Rastus and Dave. Waldo would not think of playing pirates, but he becomes part of the game all right. They bind him in their pirate cave and sail away for the sea with the baby. But the pirate brig is a leaky motorboat that runs away out to sea. Bold pirates become frightened ones when the runaway boat also starts to leak, but when the nurse returns and learns what her neglect led to, assistance is soon sent to the pirates.