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- A picture dramatization from Sir Ed Burne-Jones' famous painting, with suggestions from that world famous poem by Rudyard Kipling, each conceded a peer in the literary and world of art. This great subject handles deftly the realms of the imaginary inner circle of society. (Even as you and I) A fool there was and he made his prayer, To a rag and a bone and a hank of hair (We called her the woman who did not care) But the fool called her his lady fair (Even as you and I). Guy Temple, as "the fool there was" marries his brother's ward, his boyhood sweetheart, Emily. The young husband becomes ensnared in the toils of the Vampire (a destroyer of souls). Clandestine meetings are arranged and the cunning, unscrupulous, satanic actions of the Vampire compels the poor weakling, Temple, to falter and fall before her charms. John Temple, the other brother, determines to save the young husband when he discovers his perfidy, and to recover the jewels given the Vampire by Guy. In a dream he remembers where he had seen Loie before. She it was who had ruined the life of Emily's father and rendered the then slip of a girl an orphan. Seeking out the brother, John Temple told him Loie was a Vampire, that she had ruined his own wife's father and to quit her under threat of his life. He offers Loie a large sum of money to leave America. But her promise is soon forgotten; her direful work continues, the tightening strands on wrecking souls of mortals. The fool was stripped to his foolish hide (Even as you and I). Which she might have seen when she threw him aside (But it isn't on record the lady tried) So some of him lived but the most of him died (Even as you and I). The young husband's mind is rent; his honor gone and the yawning abyss of the great beyond seeks its own.
- Every hamlet can boast of one or more public hostelry and most of them find time to name one of them Commercial, such is true of Caseyville. The evening train had just arrived, the hotel was busy attending to the wants of the new arrivals, among which was a real out and out lady tonsorial artist who has made known her intention of opening a barber shop in the quiet and staid village. She is soon in the hands of the real estate man and a bargain struck for a location. The sign is placed in position, and the excitement begins. The novelty of the occasion creates more furor than a detachment of hobble skirts at a church fair. The village Beau Brummels, married and unmarried, are in line awaiting their turn. The regular shop presents a grave aspect, especially as regards the absence of customers. McGee drops in to tell the old reliable cause of the sudden slump in business. The news is not received by the ladies of the town with any degree of delight, as they notice their husbands are spending more time and money at the barber shop than usual, some getting shaved 2 or 3 times a day. The new barber is so overwhelmed with business that she sends to the city for more help and in another day the force is increased to four barbers and a lady bootblack. The last arrival was too much; the village belles fairly fumed with rage and vowed vengeance. They hold an indignation meeting and resolve upon a plan. In the meantime the regular shop decides to enter into skirted tonsorial competition and accordingly enlists the services of his wife and hangs his sign out to herald the news, but he has not weighed with the charms of the fair sex and while the customers came, like the girl at the church, "turned right around and walked right out again." The suffragette committee by this time had perfected their defense and ordered the old regular to get busy and send for some young men as hair dressers. This is done and proves a bomb in the camp of the invading barbers and all argument on the part of their men was of no avail. Their wives crowded to the old shop and the fair new arrivals are soon their way.
- The love of Jim Dolan for Grace Wellington incurs the hatred of Ed Jones, who is trying to win the affection of Grace Jones, a foreman on the Brown ranch, and Brown, himself, call upon Dolan and request that he sell his little claim, which is bordering the ranch of Brown. Jim refuses to listen to them and his demands of Jones to keep quiet tend to intensify the latter's anger. Seeing a chance to get even with Jim, Jones puts a malignant motive into effect. One night he steals a number of branded hides from Brown, which he buries on the claim of Jim. He then reports that a number of the hides have been stolen and with the aid of the sheriff discover the missing skins. Jim is arrested and sentenced to ten years in the town calaboose. Grace, believing that there has been foul play, smuggles a saw and a note, which tells him of the relay of horses to help him escape. It is not long before Jim is urging the steeds to great speed. The sheriff and the posse soon discover his flight and are soon upon his trail. When Jim comes to the last relay he makes the alarming discovery that the horse is lame. Breaking his rifle, he runs cautiously to the river, submerges himself and breathes only through the barrel of the gun. His ingenious tactic effectuates his escape from the posse, but he is later captured on the river bank by Apaches, who tie him to the tail of a wild horse as a sort of amusement. He is rescued by a prospector and nursed back to health. Around some supplies that the old prospector has bought in town is wrapped a newspaper stating that Ed Jones, who has been wounded in a saloon fight, confessed that it was he who stole the hides and cast the blame upon Jim Dolan. Jim tells his story to the kind-hearted prospector, and it is not long before he is in the arms of his sweetheart, Grace.
- A young girl in a small western community receives a legacy of five thousand dollars' worth of government bonds. A gossip neighbor calls upon the girl and, after a bit of questioning, learns all the details. Bursting with importance, the gossip tells the news to everyone she meets. A couple of rough characters hear of the girl's wealth, go to her home, and take the bonds from her, making good their escape. The girl communicates with her sweetheart, a deputy U.S. Marshal, who follows and finally corners them in an out-of-the-way log house. By a clever bit of strategy, the marshal manages to arrest one of the thieves, but is shot from behind by the other. When he regains consciousness he again takes up the trail. This time he is aided by several brother officers and a posse of cowboys. After an exciting chase, the thieves are run down, and the bonds recovered. As the deputy marshal returns the bonds to the girl, he takes occasion to impress upon her mind the fact that she needs protection: She comes around to his way of thinking and the happy pair start to town for a marriage license.
- Tom Walker, a miserly man, is much beaten and bullied by his Amazonian wife, Dame Walker. The action of the piece takes place in New E3ngland, early in the eighteenth century, when the Puritans were still in power. Tom, having been well drubbed, slinks out of his house and goes fishing with Old Briggs. While they are safely anchored in midstream, the latter tells him that Captain Kidd, the pirate, buried his treasure in that neighborhood, which excites the cupidity of Tom. He deserts his companion and takes to the woods, camps near the charming spot, and is almost frightened out of his wits by the appearance of the devil, who warns him to be off.. "Out of the frying-pan into the fire," he goes home and, after telling his wife, receives a good beating, and she takes shovel in hand and proceeds to investigate the treasure herself. He endeavors to persuade her from her rash undertaking, but she hands him one from her "terrible left" and proceeds alone to unearth the treasure trove. The devil orders her away, but she puts up a stubborn fight, which is her last, as she disappears in the trench of her own making in a puff of smoke. His Satanic Majesty, having taken care of the tartar, seeks the cream in Tom's soul, which he bargains for on the ground that he will have the pirate's treasure and a beautiful young wife to boot, if he will give up said soul. Tom having lost his chief exercise in life, beatings from his wife, is willing to risk another consort who is young and beautiful, whose dowry is untold wealth. He consents to the compact, and then the devil makes him do all sorts of mean tricks, until Tom, overcome by remorse, seeks out the minister and begs him to save him from the devil. That worthy gives him a Bible and tells him to always keep it on his person and he will be immune. The devil, however, disguised, bribes his old friend, Briggs, to steal the Bible, so the devil gets his dues and poor Tom presumably goes to more suffering in the after-life.
- Bill, a Westerner, loves a girl who is also loved by an Indian.
- Bud Reynolds, the king of his class, applies at the Diamond "S" ranch for a job and promptly falls in love with the ranchman's daughter. They all contest at the County Fair, when Bud captures all the trophies in sight for his prowess, including the hand of the fair Katie. Arizona Rob, Soda Water Sam and Limpy Jim are disconsolate thereat, and take to reading openly and in secret, the small "ads" in the crumpled paper from Omaha. They all strike "a plant" of two confidence men: "A wealthy widow desires to make the acquaintance of a Westerner." Each, unknown to the other, writes, and are requested to send a sum of money as evidence of good faith. After several weeks of waiting for the return sign of the widow, their mutual secret becomes open and they conclude, both as individuals and syndicates, they have been stung. Arizona volunteers to mosey up to Omaha and try to get back the original heart balm investment. He sends the coy widow an important check, and goes on the same train with the letter. He visits the newspaper office and lays for the "Con" who gets the letters, and then trails him to the lair of his confederates. As they are about to split the proceeds of the check he bobs up serenely, and covering them with his trusty irons, "persuades" them to pay his bill which includes his traveling expenses and the original investment of his partners, together with divers "extras" in the form of heart damages, in a naive western way that takes the starch and unearned increment out of the swindlers. Then he buys a handsome wedding present for Bud and Katie. His partners are reimbursed, but concluded that the risks of matrimony are too complicated for their simple calculation.
- A terrible storm at sea so badly damages the vessel under the command of Captain Warren that the crew deserts the ship in all the lifeboats available. The captain then binds his little daughter, Nellie, and wife to a spar and sets them adrift. When they are picked up by a lighthouse keeper, it is discovered that the mother has died. The little girl is cared for by the keeper. Fifteen years later Nellie, who has now grown into a beautiful woman, is the adored of Bill Jackson, the stalwart assistant keeper, which fact falls so upon the nerves of Jim Arnold, of the coast patrol, that he writes an anonymous letter to Warren, who had been rescued from the wreck, and who has become a government inspector of lighthouses, telling him that the keeper of Far Point Light is so old that he is incapacitated from doing his work and that the assistant is a drunkard. One night, sometime later, as Jackson is going to attend to the light he is felled by a hard blow on the head by Arnold. This is seen by Nellie, who, while wanting to go to the aid of her lover, sees the greater necessity of attending to the light. She is followed by Arnold after he has deposited the body on the rocks where the rising tide would get him and thereby give the impression that he had been drowned. Nellie has no sooner started the flaring light revolving in its orbit when she notices the trap door being raised and the head of Arnold protruding. She jumps on the trap door and holds the wood-be assassin in that position until she receives aid from the lighthouse keeper and the government inspector, who had decided to investigate the truth of the anonymous letter he had received and who, upon learning the true state of affairs from the keeper, went with him to the assistance of Nellie. There is mutual recognition between father and daughter. Instead of being drowned by the rising tide, Jackson is revived and in his company Nellie finds comfort and happiness.
- Hiram Brown and his family decide to emigrate to the west and cast their lot in the then-almost uninhabited country known as Minnesota, leaving their improvised home on the Ohio River. They started on their long journey in old fashioned covered wagons. Two months later, they reach the Mississippi River; being in the early fall the water was low and easily forded upon their landing. They camp for the night. Indians not relishing the invasion of the pale face watch them under cover of darkness, the Indian village nearby give the family warning to move on, but this the sturdy farmer refuses to do and is seen cultivating with his team of oxen. An Indian girl (a spy) under the guise of selling Indian wares, is admitted to the camp, gaining the information she sought, reports quickly tribesmen, who resolve upon decisive action at once. In the meantime Spotted Eagle has formed an attachment for one of Brown's daughters. A plan of complete capture of the family is arranged and carried out with all the cunning and fearlessness that characterized the American Indian of that period. They take their captives to the village where they are tied to the stake. A trapper taking his life in his hands, runs the gauntlet, mounts a running horse and hurls the Indian to the ground (a sensational scene in the extreme). The young girl who had previously warned the camp of Indian uprising is seen making her way to the military post to report the capture. When the soldiers reach the Brown camp, they find the settler that had made good his escape on Indian horse and who guided them to the village where a spectacular rescue of the prisoners is affected and again reunited.
- Wilbur Stone is falsely accused of a crime, convicted on circumstantial evidence and "railroaded" to the penitentiary. As an odd coincidence. Frank Fink, a hardened degenerate, is sent up at the same time and he becomes a prison parasite on Stone. Both men are released about the same time. Wilbur Stone has secured a good position and tries to forget the past when the drunken and dissolute Fink happens to stagger into the office where he is employed. He with criminal cunning threatens to tell Stone's "number" to his employer, and the latter in terror gives up "hush money" to prevent it. A new drain comes on Stone in the person of his twin brother who has heart disease. This unfortunate young man drops dead in Stone's apartment, and the resemblance to him is so striking that he concludes to suddenly disappear and leave the impression that the dead brother is himself. The drunken Fink invades the apartment with the usual demands for money, staggers over the dead man, is discovered there and finally convicted of murdering him. Stone reads this where he has sought new life in a distant city, and to save an innocent man from the noose rushes to the rescue and arrives at the eleventh hour. He succeeds and is again so thoroughly impressed in the esteem of his employer that he is advanced in office and his past is made honorable forgetfulness.
- Kenneth Greves and his wife, Elsie, have a summer home at the seaside, and the christening of their baby draws a brilliant social gathering, among others Constance Strong, just returned from Europe, who is an old friend of the wife and who is prevailed upon to remain for several weeks. She is a beautiful woman, versed in the ways of the world and free from all minor faults, but there immediately arises between her and the husband a strange telepathic bond, commonly described as "affinity." As well-bred and self-respecting people, they vainly endeavor to hide their weakness, too plainly palpable to others. Elsie, however, wrapped up in her baby, is oblivious to all outside things even to forgetfulness of her husband that is almost neglect. He is thrown continually in the society of Constance and is too weak to resist the love that her presence radiates. A burning moment arrives when each acknowledges the ardent feeling for the other. John Greves, the father of the husband, an elderly but well-preserved man, accidentally witnesses this scene, and having feelings of his own for the fair Constance, together with a great desire to save his son from the smirch of a scandal, asks her to marry him. She refuses and prepares to make a hasty departure for exile in Europe. Elsie Greves has ever manifested a strange affection for the sea, having been born at sea, and the high tides often lure her down to the dangerous rocks. Her husband has observed this tendency and frequently warned her of the danger. She is a simple, trustful soul, and has never doubted her consort, nor does she for one moment dream of the sacrifice that Constance is making in her contemplated flight. The day after that lady's departure, which leaves Kenneth Greves alone in the bitter struggle, Elsie, his wife, by some strange call of the sea, goes down to meet the rising tides and they overcome her. Kenneth is brought to his sense of his loss by the shouts of fishermen, who come, bearing the dead form of his wife in their arms. The end of all this is problematical, whether or not the husband follows destiny across the sea to claim one who is flying from him on the bosom of the ocean, or chances to remain single and alone, steadfast to the memory of one whose life was lost in its depths, is the question that each observer can answer for himself.
- Jack Temple, a young man from the country, ventures to the big city and is nearly ruined.
- Bud Noble, a handsome specimen of manhood, is foreman on the Circle "D" ranch outside of Circle City, Idaho, and our opening scene pictures Bud as the cowboy roping and tying a steer. With its bucking bronchos, pitching mustangs, bucking steers, and the biggest novelty ever, the acme of all thrillers, "see Bud bulldog a steer." Only three men have successfully accomplished this feat and lived to tell about it. Then Bud receives a shock. The local operator appears with a telegram. "Your Uncle John dead. You are sole heir to his estate valued at several millions. Come to Chicago at once." The astounded cowboys tumble over with sheer amazement. Bud buys and the scene closes with a characteristic rush for the bar. "One year later" Bud tires of society. We see Bud and his new wife entertaining and our cowboy shows plainly that he is desperately weary of the effete East, then Bud goes to the club and the men he meets there and their conversation is getting on his nerves. "After the theater" a return home and Bud longs for the fresh air of the vast West. As he sinks wearily into a chair a Remington painting catches his eye. It is one he had recently purchased, a broncho buster and his locoed horse. The artist had caught the wild spirit of his subject, and as Bud's mind returns to scenes of a similar nature, a happy inspiration comes. "By Jove, I'll do it." He seizes a telegraph blank, rings for his butler, and sends the following message: "Col. Dalton, Foreman Circle 'D' Ranch, "This high-brow life is killing me. Am sending you special train. Bring the whole outfit, band, horses and all. This town needs excitement. Come and help wake it up. BUD." A few days later we see the boys at a swell suburban depot: Bud and his wife in their auto, and the punchers in chaps and sombreros soon create a world of excitement on the city streets. Then Bud takes the boys yachting; next to see a melodrama, where the Colonel takes exceptions to the villain's heartless treatment of "Bertha, the Sewing Machine Girl." "Bud, either send those horrid creatures back where they came from or I get a divorce," declares Mrs. Bud. So the boys are next seen in a palatial café car homeward bound. The Colonel gets into an argument with the colored cook and that worthy dives through an open car window to escape the cowboy's wrath. Our closing scene is in the cozy home of the millionaire. He and his wife are enjoying a quiet tete-a-tete when the butler bands in a telegram. It reads; "On root. Everybody enjoyin' theirselves. The Colonel sure some happy, he just shot a coon. Will send the bill to you. THE BOYS." Bud laughs heartily. The wife joins and as she nestles up to her big manly husband, says: "You won't ever want to be a cowboy again, will you, Bud?" Bud turns slowly; looks at the Remington painting which has been the innocent cause of their recent quarrel, and walking over, he turns the picture to the wall, holds out his arms to his wife, and as her head nestles against his shoulder, we plainly catch his words, "Never Again."
- After Kathlyn's seemingly marvelous escape from the Temple of the Lion, where she almost became a victim of fanatical men, not to remark the hungry and marauding lion, she is still followed by the wild beasts that rove in that vicinity in search of prey. She realizes her peril through some keen second sense, and eventually makes her way by woodcraft to a tree, at the base of which is an idol. This being in the nature of a votive shrine. It is frequently visited by the Pilgrims and pious Parsees, who offer prayers for protection from the beasts of the jungle and also leave peace offerings in the form of food. Above in the branches of this spreading tree is propped a rude hunting booth, where the native hunters have been accustomed to watch in security for the stalking game that prey upon one another in the depths of the jungle. This umbrageous tree seems to have kindly shadows, and Kathlyn takes refuge among its branches, exhausted after her terrible flight through the tangled woodlands. Unarmed, she realizes that she must now depend upon her woodcraft and fleetness of foot to avoid the dangerous inhabitants of that neighborhood. With this idea in view, she weaves for herself a dress of fibrous grass that blends with the flora and the branches of the trees, just as the markings of many wild animals does, comporting with their environment, giving them unconscious security. She completes this garment none too soon, when the carnivora which has been upon her trail, rounds up at the base of the tree and settles down with fearful roars and snarling, warning her that it is time for her to look to her safety. She is so surprised that in her haste to get away she drops her tattered and discolored temple gown, fleeing further into the depths of the everglades in her new garb blending so well with the surroundings that it helps to conceal her whereabouts. Bruce, the American hunter, who accomplished Kathlyn's rescue in the amphitheater from the forty hungry lions, has been hot upon her trail since the stampede of elephants drew them far apart. Undeterred, however, he has penetrated the depths of the jungle, followed her from the Burning Gat to the ruined temple, and now to the base of the tree, where he finds her torn and discarded garment. He is encouraged to continue his search with greater zeal. In the interim, some passing traders lose an elephant that has strayed far afield to feed and give chase. The elephant becomes panicky and in its flight almost knocks down the tree that shelters Kathlyn. In her fright, she tries to run away, but the traders who have come upon the scene, capture her, believing her to have been an escaped slave. The chief of this band, after taking counsel, concludes to take his captive to a nearby city, place her in a slave market and sell her. Then follow a series of interesting scenic events, showing the method of caring for captives that have more than ordinary value in the eyes of their owners, for the fair Kathlyn at once excites the cupidity and admiration of the leader of the band, who naturally concludes he has a pearl of great price in her. (Incidental to this is the caste-mark on the forehead of the human chattel.) A few days after Kathlyn emerges from the jungle, she is put upon the auction block in the slave market of Allaha. Disguised in her wild garb of woven grass, bearing her caste-mark, and deprived of all the finery that once marked her as a queen, she is so heavily veiled she is not recognized by any of the dusky magnates who frequent the market of Allaha. Eventually she is sold, curiously enough to Umballah, who does not recognize her on account of the Saree over her face. Kathlyn, who has been successful in outwitting Umballah, concludes to reveal to him her identity, and when she does he is furious and indignant beyond words. While she was in the slave market, she managed to learn the whereabouts of Bruce, and conveyed a message to him through the caste-marker of Allaha. Bruce is again close, but is a few minutes too late to save her, as Umballah, in his fury, has ordered Kathlyn to be incarcerated in the same prison that confines her father. She had believed her sire dead, but when she is placed into the dungeon she recognizes the ragged and emaciated lost one and a joyous meeting drives melancholy from the inhospitable place. This, however, is short-lived, for the malignant Umballah appears and tells Col. Hare that his daughter Kathlyn is now his slave, his chattel, and that he will do with her as he likes. Instead of having the effect he hoped, in humbling the prisoner in chains at his feet, it inspires him with fury, and Hare, now possessed of maniacal strength, springs upon Umballah like a wild beast and bears him down, grinding him against the rocky floor of the dungeon.
- Granny Willard, seeing the end of her days approaching, begs to leave her bed and sit in her old armchair, the bumble throne about which three generations have assembled. Her favorite grandson, Tom Willard, has come in from the farm with his buxom wife to visit. So the strong arms of youth carry old age gently to the armchair in the sunlit room for a last meeting with all her kith and kin. There came the rural types known to that modest old cottage, and then that more sacred circle of grandsons with their wives and little ones. So a lovely day passes, as do others, until the shadows darken and tears pay tribute to the passing of dear old granny. After the days of mourning, the family again meet to hear the last will and testament of the departed. All are remembered in substantial fashion, save the beloved grandson, Thomas, who must needs be contented with Granny's Old Armchair. Other members of the family, visibly more fortunate, expect that Thomas, the poorest of them all, will attempt to break the will; but he accepts the legacy with love and gratitude. Fate, as if to further vex him, burns his house, but he, faithful to his trust, saves the rickety old chair. Part of the bottom is burned away, showing a note projecting from the upholstery. He investigates and finds it is upholstered with valuable securities, so, while he lost his house, he gained a fortune, and all his loving kindness was rewarded after all.
- In the shadow of the Nevada Falls, we see John Morgan and his wife wending their way back to civilization with their trusty pack mule as their only companion. Disappointed in their search for gold, they are returning heavy-hearted; when they have reached Glacier Point, they camp for the night. On awakening they find their burro has wandered off and they are left no aid in their journey and soon find it necessary to discard the saddle as a cumbersome piece of luggage. On the opposite side of the small lake, the Indian camp is plainly visible. Rations are low and Morgan decides to seek help from the Indians, and accordingly goes to their camp. Meeting Red Bird and her brother, Yellow Breast, Morgan is directed to the tepee of Red Bear and he is successful in exchanging his gun for some meal. Morgan returns to camp. Red Bear accidentally discharges his gun and wounds his squaw. He sends for aid to the white man, who gives help and nurses the squaw back to life. Red Bear, in order to show his gratitude for the white man's kindness, tells him of gold deposits near Mr. Shasta, and leaving his wife with the squaw, the prospector hits the trail with Red Bear for the promised find. Their ambitions are realized and after a period of some weeks they return to the camp and find that in their absence Gerald Winston, a prospector, had used every effort to entice Mrs. Morgan from the camp, but had been repelled by the squaw, who proved herself true to her benefactors and blocked the attempt of the unprincipled mine owner. All are happy in their reunion and prove the ever prevailing influence of gratitude even in the breasts of the much hated redskins.
- A hungry thespian, out of employment, reads an advertisement, "Butler Wanted," and concludes to take a chance and get in close touch with some well-filled pantry. He accordingly "makes up" responding to the conventional type of butler in person and is accepted without question. The second maid forgets her admirer, the coachman, in her passionate fondness for the new deity in the household, and the cook neglects her steady, the big policeman, is expressing unbounded admiration for the butler. On the night out, the new man has filled out the wrinkles of hunger under his waistcoat, impatiently escapes the attentions of his household inamoratas, and hies to the theater in propria persona. There he is introduced to the daughter of his mistress and is asked to call at the house. This is much to his liking, but a trifle embarrassing, as it keeps him busy "making up" for his several identities, keeping on the good side of the stalwart and jealous cook, avoiding discovery by the sharp-eyed maid, and at the same time calling formally upon the daughter of the family he is serving, Versatility being his gift and cleverness his calling, allows him to make all points of the triangle satisfactorily, until one night he encounters a burglar trying to lift the family plate. He valiantly closes with the crook and in the struggle that ensues he pins down the thief, but the latter tears away his wig and disguise, so that the family, rushing alarmedly upon the scene, discover that the butler and the actor are one and the same. The daughter loves him devotedly and declares herself, while mother approves her choice, so they are married. The cook and the maid keep silent and retain their situations and the entire deal is highly satisfactory to the coachman and the policeman, who secretly congratulate their rival and win back their own.
- Ben Clayton marries Virginia, the daughter of a ranchman, against her father's will. This stirs up a feud among the neighboring cattlemen, who refuse to have anything further to do with the pair. Ben and his wife, however, have no concern over this and they live happily on their lonely ranch for the next ten years. During this time their boy has grown up to be quite a lad, but his grandfather has never seen him. Virginia is taken ill and pleads with Ben to go to her parent and ask him to come to see them. He starts out, and along the way encounters a drunken Mexican beating his wife. Ben jumps from his horse, soundly trounces the Mexican, and takes the poor wife back with him to his home to take care of Virginia while he is away. He finds the ranchman still unrelenting and returns alone. In the interim, the Mexican, who has trailed his wife to Ben's ranch, endeavors to break in and take her with him against her wishes. Ben arrives just in time to prevent his carrying out this purpose and drives him away. The Mexican retaliates by returning a little later and stealing a horse. The nine-year-old boy, Roy, sees him, and mounting his own pony, gives chase. The Mexican, arriving at his cabin first, tidies it up, makes it attractive, and meeting the boy at the door, invites him in. The youth is disarmed and enters. Then the Mexican, after gaining the boy's confidence, starts out for a pail of water, but instead mounts and rides off with both horses. Roy becomes accidentally caught in a wolf trap in the cabin, and in his struggle to free himself knocks over a small stove. The cabin is soon in flames. The boy's grandfather sees the distant smoke, and with some of his cowboys rides over to investigate the cause. Arriving on the scene, and hearing the boy's cries, he rushes in and drags him out just as the cabin collapses. When the boy recovers under the kindly ministrations of the old ranchman, he reveals his identity and the grandfather finds that he has rescued his own grandson. He then goes hack home with him and the family are happily reunited after years.
- As revenge for being rejected by the Widow Morton, Dr. Pelham fakes his own death and frames her son Alfred for the crime. Alfred enlists the help of Professor Locksley, The Hypnotic Detective, to solve the crime.
- Miss Fay and her horse, Arabia, after doing an equestrienne high-school act, she and the horse go about as comrades on a shopping expedition. The horse follows her mistress down the street carrying a market basket. After purchasing the goods, Arabia helps the shopkeeper out by working the cash register. On the way home, Arabia observes a poor woman leave a basket on the doorstep, abandoning her baby. The horse, with philanthropic intent, leaves the market basket, and takes the one containing the waif to her mistress. There the child finds a happy home. When the house burns, Arabia rings the bell alarming the village fire department. It wakens her mistress and carries that blessed baby to safety.
- Tom Healy. Silver haired and stoop shouldered, has served fifteen years, the victim of circumstantial evidence. He reads a letter from his wife; she has again petitioned the governor for his pardon. The warden summons him, the pardon has come; he is released. His first good deed is to separate two street urchins fighting and make them friends. Then comes a pathetic meeting at the unpretentious cottage where his faithful old wife has worked and waited for him so long. Joy mingles with tears as they gaze at the empty cradle he left tenanted fifteen years before. The little tenant has passed away. His old employer bids him be of good cheer and takes him back to work. Of course, the omnipresent detective comes in to remind the employer of his risk and responsibility, finding Tom Healy with his first week's pay. The employer tells the policeman to get out. Tom finds a drunken loafer Crimmens abusing his sickly crippled daughter, and the Juvenile Court eventually gives her into the care of Tom Healy and his wife to cheer their childless home.
- Marie Sanford is a beauty in a little village by the sea, but not of the good fairy kind. She ensnares the hearts of old Captain Halsey's sons, Jack and Tom, having engaged herself to both. Each boy is proud in his conquest until they come to an exchange of confidences when they are returning from a successful trip on their fishing smack. A wild fight follows the revelation. In the scrimmage, the oldest boy goes over the rail. The young one, relenting, dives to his rescue, but both are drowned in the struggle that ensues. Mourning the dual loss, old Captain Halsey loses his mind. Of course, he loses his position and authority. The fishing company with which he was associated, sends a new manager to the little town, and the giddy, thoughtless Marie, who has been branded by tragedy, immediately falls in love with him, and he, of the flirty sort, co-operates readily. About the time that the scheming Marie feels she is safe in the love of the new man of power and sees her way clear to affluence and a fireside of her own, he receives a telegram, the contents of which the village gossips are soon apprised, which falls into Marie's hands, telling him to return at once, as he is the father of a new baby boy. The power for evil gets a blow that quite crushes her. The boys that she had lured by her charm to their death are a haunting memory; so that she, heartless and thoughtless, is left alone to sorrow in the shadow.
- Millionaire Ford selects a superb diamond necklace for his daughter Violet's birthday. Bob Collins, a suitor, is an artist and loves to sketch her face. He has a rival in Hector Loraine, who sees them together and immediately forms a deep and settled hatred for the seemingly favored artist. Collins drops his sketch book and the cunning Loraine picks it up and saves it for future reference. Violet has a horse, Arabia, that is a most intelligent equine. Hector, who is a visitor at the Ford home, is shown the necklace, and he eventually abstracts it from the family safe. Violet first forms a dislike for Hector because he is unfriendly to her horse, and that intelligent animal leads to his undoing in return. Arabia sees Hector take the jewels and when he hides it in Arabia's stall, the steed picks it up and hands it to the visiting officer and subsequently indicates the thief.
- The sensational crux of jealous revenge in "The False Order" is a head-on collision of two enormous locomotives. A realistic effect that heavily discounts any stage device ever materialized to thrill. A page of vivid romance torn from the life of a young engineer, who is lured on to seeing certain death by the deadly lie of a drunken rival. Happily he is saved for a long and useful life by a trick of fate, and the well directed energies of a wrecking crew.
- A husband and father falls in love with an unscrupulous actress.
- Ella Walton, like many another brave sister of her time, through the loss of her soldier sweetheart, drifts into the realm of the lovable old maid, who devotes all her time and lavishes all her affection on the infant child of a dead brother. Unfortunately, this child, after coming to manhood, became a drunkard, who broke the heart and caused the death of his aunt. The drift of the drama is that she returns in spirit and through her guiding influence, causes him to break away from the slavery of drink, become a man again and return to the love of a beautiful girl, who had abandoned him on account of his debauchery.
- Donald Worth is a spoiled young wealthy bachelor. Accompanied by his valet, he goes for a week-end to the Barrett's beautiful bungalow in the mountains. He is a welcome guest there, because he is admired by Marie Barrett. They renew their old troth and have a delightful time tramping in the mountains in the neighborhood. On one of these excursions they happen to visit an isolated home of the mountains, where Elise Martin lives. The girl immediately attracts the attention of Donald. Marie Barrett soon perceives a change in her lover, and when he is suddenly called to Europe, she practically gives him a letter of release from his engagement. Later, the old father of Elise dies and leaves her quite alone; so she is taken to the Barrett home and Marie undertakes her education. These influences so quickly refine and intensify the attractions of the mountain girl that when she makes her debut in society she is the cynosure of all eyes. About this time Donald Worth returns from Europe and promptly visits the Barrett home, and unmistakably shows his love for the undowered mountain lass. The generous Marie Barrett, who has many admirers, finds the object of her charity has an equal chance with her and relinquishes the hand of the man to whom she was once plighted to the lovely but lowly Elise Martin.
- The Village Smithy and the Village Cobbler had been the best of friends for many years. Smith had a daughter; Cobbler had a son, young, honest and manly, but, possessed of a roving, care-free nature that often led him o'er seas afar, and sometimes caused him to revel with the shifters of the village grog shop. The village parson had long loved Jennie, the Smith's daughter, in silence. So had Jack, the Cobbler's son. Jennie respected the parson, but her love was for Jack. One day Jack, who had been away before the mast for a long time, returned to the village in time to witness the parson in the act of proposing to Jennie. Nothing daunted. Jack made known his presence and proposed likewise. Jennie accepted Jack. That evening, Jack, having imbibed too freely at the tavern, was in his cups. The parson thereupon proved himself the man by keeping his erstwhile rival from the sight of his betrothed. For this kindness Jack promised never to drink again. The marriage took place with the parson officiating and the lucky young people knew naught of the heartache felt by him who had made them one.
- An Italian, convicted by circumstances as the kidnapper of pretty Dolly Gardner, is pursued and arrested by a typical country constable, Perkins, who entertains the delusion that he has saved Miss Dolly, and is entitled to her in matrimony. The young lady, while appreciative of the constable's service and suit, is in love with Rob, and is to meet him at the justice's and have the contract sealed. Mrs. Gardner, who reads the papers closely, has been much impressed with the doings of the Black Hand Society. She has been impressed with the large, lazy hand of a stretching Negro, crediting it as the ominous sign of the vengeful Black Hand. She is hysterically certain of the peddler's guilt when she sees her daughter's scarf (that he picked up in the street), projecting from his pocket, and he is marched off to the justice's court. As they go in, the newlyweds come out. Dolly and her mother become reconciled and the poor peddler is released to follow the fruity trail of the city alleys.
- Jeff Scott, a quick and determined fellow, who has been brought up by foster parents unmindful of his father's record, is so outrageously bullied by Sam Carey, that he gets a gun, but declines to use it after having the drop on Sam. The latter, a human hound is not compunctious over plugging his generous adversary, and is sentenced to serve time although his marksmanship is not fatally accurate. After some years' service he escapes from prison, captures Jeff's little girl and leaves a note that he has left her at the mercy of the wolves. Again the blood-blot fills the brain of Jeff and he reaches the man who tried to kill him and then robs him of his treasure. The thrilling fight in which he casts aside the temptation of a gun to evoke vengeance with his naked hands, stops just close enough to the dim border of tragedy to make the over-true tale telling and intense.
- Grandpa Eaton, a white-haired old man, has reached infirm age, and his grandson, Bobby, is his chief joy. He has a comely granddaughter, aged 20, whose gaiety of disposition causes the old gentleman some apprehension. She has a sweetheart, Jim Weston, but when she shows Grandpa her ring and announces her engagement, he not only refuses to shake hands with the young man, but reduces his voice from quivering falsetto to the deep diapason note of displeasure. Then he goes on playing with Bobby as though nothing had happened. Bobby, however, sees through the window the waiting automobile of Jim and decides that the out-of-doors is for him. He rushes out, begs for a ride, but is refused. Undaunted by this, and unnoticed by Jim, he climbs onto the rear of the machine, and as the driver is not particular about speed laws, Bobby has to cling on for dear life. Finally he is jarred off, and is discovered in the street, injured and unconscious. A "cop'" and several other Samaritans rush in and pick up the injured one, with expressions of amazement, and one man points down the street towards the whirling auto, the driver of which knows nothing of his lost passenger. Jim, however, happens to come back that way, and is shocked and horrified to see the policeman carrying Bobby, whom he recognizes. He explains to him that he will take care of him, takes the child in his auto and carries him swiftly to his own home, a fashionable bachelor apartment. He dispatches his man at once for a doctor, then phones Bess. She, in turn, breaks the news to Grandpa Eaton, who makes his way to Jim's apartment and endeavors to carry the injured child from the sick-room. The doctor interferes at this point, but presently Bobby regains his wits, begins to mend, and exonerates Jim from the blame that his Grandpa has placed upon him. This results in restored happiness all around.
- Bill Brant, a bad man, has a fine daughter, who is in love with a good man, Tom Travis, foreman of the Diamond "S" ranch. Brant has the unhappy faculty of eliminating the last letter of his name and adding a "d" on other people's cattle, in the argot of the west, a rustler. The redoubtable Tom Travis has been looking after his diminishing herd and happens to so by the Brant cabin, following a warm trail. He finds that the girl has been locked in the cabin by heavy bars having been nailed across the windows and door. He concludes that this is due to two reasons: one, that she cannot get away, and the other, that she cannot discover the operations of Brant and his accomplices. Tom gives the girl her liberty and suggests that they go at once and get married. So they ride off double, on their happy errand. The rustlers, returning, find the girl gone and start after the couple. Tom and his inamorata reach the home of the minister first: but Brant arrives on the scene, furiously declaring that he is going to make his daughter a widow before she is a wife. He rushes into the room, and the daughter requests the parson to pray for her father. This smites the conscience of the old sinner, so that he gives up his murderous plan and orders his men to drive back the stolen cattle they have confined and concealed in a draw. So he happily becomes good, leaves the country, and the young people are happy ever after.
- Pandemonium follows the escape of the leopards, placed to guard the treasure-room in Umballah's palace. Royal personages and their attendants flee from the spotted terrors, and Kathlyn takes advantage of this to get away from the throne-room, where she was surrounded by enemies. She flees into the Garden of Brides and takes refuge in a covered bullock cart close to the palace walls. The scene opens as Kathlyn lifts the draperies of the covered cart and gazes affrighted at the prowling leopards in the palace yard. As they rush by, she deserts the cart, and runs through the garden. Still, the walls seem to bar her escape. A heavy, clinging vine is not to be despised and immediately uses this means to scale the barrier. Her father and Ramabai, who have been reinforced by Bruce and Pundita, have their camels only a short distance away and her appearance is hailed joyously. She is assisted down the wall by a ladder, then the party mount their camels and start through the city of Allaha. As they pass through the outer gate, they are recognized by Umballah's Captain of Guard, who hurriedly rushes to the palace and notifies Umballah, who is holding a session with the Council of Three, of his discovery and their departure. Umballab derides to give chase, as he is particularly anxious to recapture Col. Hare, who has been made king, merely to serve as the creature of his caprice. Then begins an exciting chase over plains, and through woodlands with thrilling incidents. At a native village, the party come upon a festival in which the dancers are masked with animal heads. Learning of the close pursuit of Umballah, they persuade the dancers to allow them in their places, and although Umballah and his followers come upon the scenes and see the dancers, they do not penetrate the disguise and recognize them, and so disgusted, they finally reluctantly return to Allaha. Kathlyn and her party, having secured fresh mounts, start on their way to cross the mountains and eventually stop and camp for the night. During the hours of darkness, treacherous natives steal their horses, greatly inconveniencing the travelers. Different members of the party start out in the morning to hunt their property, and Kathlyn is trailed through the broken country by a pair of hungry tigers. Her situation is perilous, indeed, when a sheep-herder observes her and, throwing up a rope, Kathlyn fastens it to a rock, and then slides down the face of the cliff, leaving the maddened, astonished brutes snarling at the summit. Hardly has she escaped this danger, when she hears the howling of a pack of wolves, and rushes breathlessly along until she sees the mountain rest house where the faithful Pundita is resting. The wolves make for the cabin, but the women cunningly see an inner room in the house, and by concealing themselves in the cupboard, allow the wolves to rush into it, then, shoving the door shut, trap the savage howling beasts. By this time Col. Hare and Bruce have arrived upon the scene. Kathlyn shows the hunter how she has imprisoned the wolves, and he leisurely picks off the leaders with his rifle. About this time a caravan comes that way, which they join, and eventually arrive safely at a seaport town. Here they learn, to their sorrow, from a California cablegram, that Kathlyn's sister, Winnie, had sailed several weeks before for India, and is now in the city of Allaha. Although their own safety was secure, they decided at once to return to Allaha, as they are familiar with the treacherous disposition of Umballah, and know he will visit all his wrath upon the innocent girl. This is about as they expected, for the real ruler of Allaha, having discovered Winnie and recognizing her as the girl he saw in California, makes her a prisoner, and, previous to placing the Crown of Allaha upon her head, has her sequestered in the harem. Kathlyn and her party secure disguises before entering the city, and come upon the scene on the very day of the coronation. They manage to secure admittance to the throne-room, and Kathlyn secretly gets a message to her sister, assuring her of the plans made for her rescue. The openly cruel treatment of Umballah to Winnie causes Kathlyn to throw aside her disguise, and boldly reveal her own identity.
- Mr. and Mrs. Algernon Boob are discovered breakfasting in their country place at Lonesomehurst. He is as small and insignificant as she is buxom and important. He is consuming the contents of the 'Pup Edition' occasionally thinking of himself and taking a bite of solid food. The whistle of the train reminds him and he jumps into his overcoat, but neglects to put on his hat. He is followed to the station by the fleet and faithful maid of all-works, who jams the head-piece on him just as he climbs in the train. He has forgotten his commuter ticket so he pays cash, and then he keeps trumping his partner's ace in a friendly game in most exasperating fashion. His wife is invited to come to the city and have their child photographed. It requires a photographer and a corps of assistants to scare the baby into an attitude of restful content for a picture. Mr. Boob arrives at the station an hour before his train is made up, so he buries himself in his newspaper. His wife comes in with the infant, but he is too much engrossed to see her. At that moment a pickpocket relieves her of her chatelaine. She grabs the man, but burdened with a baby, cannot hold him. She rushes to her absent-minded hubby and throwing the baby in his lap, starts hot foot after the thief. The big policeman outside, has happily nabbed him, but insists she must go to the station with them and lodge a complaint. Mr. Boob suddenly burdened with a baby does not recognize it as his own, and trots off to the stationhouse where he leaves the waif. In the interim his wife goes home and is surprised to find he has not reported. He comes along on a late train, babbling of his remarkable experience. His wife tells him it was his own baby and consternation ensues. They spend a restless night locating the darling, finding it finally in Bellion Hospital.
- Bill, in love with Lottie, essays to surprise her with a present of slippers on the occasion of a dance given in honor of her birthday. His mischievous partner discovers the package and exchanges the dainty slippers for dirty old cowpuncher's boots. The lovely lady resents this by thumping the donor on the head with his gift. Then Bill, suspicious of his partner, determines to kick him, and they have an elegant settlement. Bill has no courage to go to the dance; but, through the aid of his intelligent dog, discovers a fire that threatens the premises, and becomes a hero in spite of himself. This brings his partner around with the slippers and an apology, and Bill is restored to the good graces of his petulant sweetheart.
- A bandit, after robbing the pay-master of the ranch, drops his mask, which is found by Lieut. Rogers. Rogers arrives at the home of Anita de Vidal, where he obtains a glass of wine and the mask drops to the ground. He explains how he found it, and incidentally incurs the jealousy and suspicion of Juan Ramirez. Juan is notified of the robbery, and remembering the mask, starts in pursuit of Rogers, whom he supposes is the bandit. Rogers sees him and his companions coming, and thinking them bandits, fires at them and rides away. Anita gives him shelter in her home and sends Juan on a false scent. He returns and enters the house where he finds Rogers. They are about to take the law into their own hands, when Don Pedro de Ramirez arrives, after capturing the real bandit. Due explanations follow, the money is restored to the rightful owner and the lovers, Anita and Lieut. Rogers, are reunited.
- A well-fed, well-dressed Cynic of the club holds that at heart every man is a thief. The Philosopher took exception to his premise and finally wagered the Cynic that from his intimate knowledge of humanity he could pick a man from the masses that would readily demonstrate his theory, that most men are honest. The two clubmen then stroll into a park. There on a bench they observe one of that melancholy class known as the "down and outer," and the Cynic consents that the Philosopher use him for a test. After some little talk he says to the bench sitter, Wall: "I need a man willing to take a desperate chance. You look to me like the man." Wall, the "down," is a trifle disconcerted at the selection, but being hungry, homeless and penniless, is not afraid of any desperate chance. An hour later, in the presence of the Cynic, the Philosopher place a bundle of bank notes in an envelope, which he carefully seals, while being jeered by the Cynic for being a fool. At the latter's residence they arrange a brass jardinière beneath a window, leaving the latter unlatched. Returning to his home, the Philosopher opens the sealed envelope, removes the lawful currency, and substitutes the same size of blank paper and a note, together with sealed instructions to Wall in another envelope. Wall keeps the appointment, and with a great show of secrecy and mystery is given the two envelopes. He opens the one containing instructions, and learns that the other is very valuable. Desperately hungry, he gazes in the window of a restaurant and fingers the valuable packet, but he hurries on, and reaching the Cynic's residence, deposits the sealed envelope in the repository and then returns to his employer, the Philosopher. The Cynic, watching him, removes the packet from the jardinière, then, in seeming proof of his own statement that every man is a thief, resolves to take the money himself and declare Wall the thief, thereby winning the wager. He opens the packet and is dismayed at its contents, finding a note, "I win," signed, the Philosopher.
- Billy Young, an athletic young bank clerk in love with Marion Wendell the president's daughter, and his young friend Jack Skyes, while walking home from work one night, accidentally encounter an old panhandler on the street corner. Billy is about to give the old man a dime when he recognizes in him his old athletic instructor. Billy bids his friend goodnight and proceeds to a nearby restaurant where he proceeds to treat his old trainer. The restaurant is of a low character and in the poor neighborhood. While eating, Marion Wendell and her friend, Kate Sommers, a mission worker, enter and distribute some tracts among the young girls who are drinking at the tables. The bouncer and waiter try to throw the "reformers" out into the street, but this is too much for Billy and old Reynolds. They make short work of the bouncer and waiter and safely escort the girls to the street, where they part. The two restaurant ruffians follow Billy and his friend and on a dark side street overtake them and after the fracas Billy comes to in a hospital. The old trainer has been removed to a cheap hotel with a bullet wound in his leg. He writes Billy and explains that unless he can get to a dry climate he will die. Billy has just had a call from Marion and her father and the doctor. They tell him he can leave the hospital and he immediately goes to see old Reynolds. He sees what urgent need the old trainer has for money and is heart-broken when he realizes his own penniless state. He cheers up his friend, however, with promises of assistance. While walking home that night his attention is arrested by a large lithograph in front of a coliseum offering five hundred dollars to anyone who will throw the wrestler Terrible Teddy. Billy goes inside, accepts the challenge and after an exciting contest, wins the prize. Needless to say he wins also the girl and his old trainer's gratitude.
- Hilda is beloved of Hans, a fisherman. Her father, captain of a tramp schooner, asks her to accompany him on a long cruise, but to gratify Hans, who is extremely jealous, she concludes not to go on the ship. As she is on her way back to tell him this, she stops and speaks with another fisherman, and Hans, seeing her, becomes at once insanely jealous, so that she capriciously reconsiders her plans and goes on the schooner. Her father and his crew are an evil lot, and everything is fish that comes to their nets. A young millionaire whose launch has become disabled drifts their way and they drag him aboard, and, after looting him, hold him up for ransom. His gallantry and his pitiless situation arouses the sympathy of the fair Hilda. She secretly shows him the way of escape and gives him a compass. He tells her be cannot steer by the compass and persuades her to take the boat and go with him. She takes him at his word and embarks in the night. The young people reach the shore, and the gallant gentleman insists that Hilda go to his home. He explains their adventure to the family, and then is much troubled, telling the father that he will have to marry the girl for saving his life. Hilda, however, is longing for her Hans, and the attraction of her fine environment having worn off, she announces one morning, "If you don't mind, I would like to return to my own home on the seashore." The young man, who thought he was making a sacrifice, is astonished, and his father is much relieved.
- The gold-crowned fields of yellow, teeming with sparkling Autumn dew, furnishes a background for planning of life's young and with the too frequent result of blasted hopes. Sallie is a conventional country lass yet in her teens, who was fond of her childhood sweetheart, Jasper, but one night a hunting party, finding their auto short of gasoline, drew up to the little farm house and asked for accommodations until they could send to the city for gasoline. Jim, the spokesman of the party, being more friendly, as it was he who first met Sallie in the corn field and through her directions found the father and bargained with him to pull his machine to the farm house for the night. Sallie entertains her guests with the family organ and soon all repair to their rooms, except Jim, who had quietly arranged to meet Sallie outside, presumably to take a smoke before retiring. They are seen strolling in the moonlight. A little band of gold is placed upon her finger and to the simple country girl a new life has opened up, and Jasper is no longer a serious consideration in her mind. On taking his departure the next morning, Jim presses firmly in her hand a note giving his city address and saying he would return and ask her father's consent for her hand. But Jim was an adept at making promises and equally so in breaking them and was in two months' time married to his fiancée in the city, and poor Sallie was to him as a page torn from the calendar of remembrance. She runs away from the quiet little home to the big city and tries to find Jim. Finding his address, she is informed he is not in the city. She patiently awaits his return, her money almost gone. Upon her return to the office, she finds him in and a smile lights up her troubled face, but only doomed to gloom, for she is confronted by his wife and faints from the shock. Upon being revived she wends her way to the public park to seek solace in silence and solitude. Jim, joy riding, is attracted and hastens to aid the suffering woman, when he discovers it is Sallie. Remorse is plainly visible in his face as the poor confiding girl is borne away. The scene carries us back to the little farm, where ma and pa are sitting alone, waiting and praying for their little girl until restless slumber had closed their eyes.
- Henry Seymour, something of a genius, but thoroughly irresponsible, shamelessly subsists upon the earnings of his hard-working wife, who conducts a railway boarding-house. They have two children, who are inclined to be rather unruly. One day the husband and wife have a misunderstanding, and acting upon her acidly expressed wish (prompted by the passion of the moment), he departs, declaring he will never return. Mrs. Seymour is thoroughly conscious of the fact that she will be able to take care of the children and have one less to care for in her shiftless husband. Twelve years elapse. Without the restraining hand of a father, and the mother engrossed in business cares, the children become unmanageable and cause the mother many heartaches. In the interim, Seymour now repentant and reformed, has, through hard work and cleverness, become a wealthy miner in Alaska. By corresponding with friends, he learns of the deplorable affairs at home, and returns incognito to see if he can bring about adjustment and make reparation. He finds the character of the son and daughter discouraging, but ascertains his wife's attitude and is most favorably impressed. He obtains room and board, and pays a month in advance at the boarding house. That same evening the son loses everything at a gambling den. and at the suggestion of a pal secures possession of his mother's money for further wastage. She discovers him in the act and pleads, but he refuses to listen and leaves, and Seymour happens to be an unseen witness to this incident. The daughter goes for a walk with the unscrupulous friend of the son, against the mother's wishes. Seymour follows his son to the gambling room and wins the money from him. The son accuses him of cheating and draws a revolver, not knowing who he is. The father easily disarms him, returns the money and orders him home, on the way they hear screams and find that the daughter is repulsing the advances of her vicious companion. Thereupon the father compels the somewhat athletic son to give his pal a thrashing, which he does. He then locks arms with his son and daughter and brings them back to the house. The son, now overwhelmed with resentment, orders his father to leave the house, then the latter reveals his identity. All are dumbfounded; the wife joyfully embraces her husband, while the wayward son and impertinent daughter break down and beg forgiveness, which is granted.
- Belle Boyd was one of the most daring and dashing figures of the South in the great Civil War. She was captured and imprisoned a number of times, and was personally commended by General Stonewall Jackson for her distinguished services on behalf of his army and her country. The details of this story are fictional, although it is an historic fact. Belle Boyd went through the zone of fire on a battlefield, escaping by dropping to the ground between every volley and then jumping to her feet and running toward the Confederate battery. The scene opens with the home of Belle Boyd in neutral ground. She and her girl companions are "sewing-up" the gallant battle-scarred Southerners, whose uniforms were necessarily neglected after the first few years of strenuous service. The watchful darkey runs into the parlor where the tailoring is proceeding on the living models and sounds the alarm, "The Tanks are coming," The Confederate officers desert their sweethearts, mount in hot haste and make for their lines! They are well out of the way when a Federal troop of cavalry escorting General Shields and staff come upon the porch. The General says they must use the house a few moments to discuss battle plans. Aunt Cloe ushers them into a parlor at the invitation of Belle Boyd. This parlor is rather dilapidated. The General sends his orderly out to inspect the premises to observe if they are safe from eavesdroppers and posts a sentinel at the door of the parlor. The soldier inspects, but he no sooner leaves the room above the parlor than Belle Boyd emerges from hiding in an old armor. She darkens the room, draws aside the rug in the center and looks through the hole in the ceiling, sees the plans exposed on the parlor table below and hears of a plot to capture General Jackson. She makes note of them, as they are most important for "the cause." When the officers depart she is at the front door to bid them "good bye" and through substituting a blank roll secures the battle plan from an enamored subordinate. Men follow her wild ride and her race through the battlefield, bringing information that saves Jackson's corps from defeat.
- The Brown family, which consists of Hon. John Brown, his wife, two sons, Harold and Billy, and a young sister named Helen, has settled on an isolated plantation in the Jungles. Jack Arden, son of another English planter, who comes over frequently to hunt with the boys has fallen in love with Helen. But Papa Brown discourages the lovers, saying that Helen is too young to be married. Jack agrees to wait. Some time afterward the Browns receive a letter from Jack stating that he is coming for another week-end of shooting- with the Brown boys. On his way to the Brown's home, Jack knocks down Concho, an overseer, for being cruel to one of the slaves. His action is approved of by the Browns. In honor of Jack the family starts on a lion hunt, and, after a long trip, they return by the river route. They espy a lioness drinking at the river's edge. She is killed by Jack and taken aboard. That night Jack again asks Mr. Brown for Helen's hand and is again told to wait. The next day when Jack is going away, Helen, unknown to anyone else, accompanies him a little way into the jungle. Concho sees this and follows, until he sees them part. On the way home Helen dismounts and starts to pick some wild flowers until her attention is attracted by a lion cub. She ties her horse to a tree and trails the cub. She is followed and accosted by Concho. At the moment when she seems to be at the complete mercy of this half-breed brute, a leopard leaps from the undergrowth and attacks the villainous overseer. While the half-breed fights desperately with the ferocious beast. Helen makes her escape. She manages to make her way back to the spot where she left her horse, but, discovers a huge lion devouring the mangled remains of her mount. Terror-stricken she runs aimlessly into the jungle where she is soon followed by the lion and its mate. Concho, in the meantime, has managed to escape from the leopard. He crawls back to the plantation and accounts for his wounds by maliciously declaring that Jack Arden had abducted Helen and made off with her. Brown and boys start off in pursuit of the alleged kidnapper. The posse overtakes Jack only to discover they have been tricked by the malicious half-breed. The mystery of Helen's disappearance is still unsolved and Jack, beside himself with lover's grief, returns with the party to organize a searching expedition. In the meantime Helen has been chased to the banks of a river by the frenzied lions. In her fright she falls from a cliff into the stream below. She swims through the turbulent waters to the opposite bank and once more rushes into the dense brush. The maddened lions follow her through the water toward the opposite shore. The searching party is coming down the river at this time on rafts. Jack Arden's raft rounds a bend in the stream just in time for him to see the lions plunge into a thicket. Simultaneously he hears a scream and realizes that it emanates from Helen who lies at the mercy of the beasts. His rifle springs to his shoulder and two shots ring forth. The shots are guided straight to their mark by the unerring aim of true love and Helen is saved just before her life is crushed out by one of the wild beasts. When Jack reaches her side the huge lion is actually found dead and is lying over her body. Helen has sustained but slight wounds, and the clasp of Arden brings her back to life.
- Ben Ames, through circumstantial evidence, is forced to serve a prison sentence. Upon his release he returns to his home and wife and child. The next day he is fortunate enough to secure a position in the wholesale house of Arnold and Co. He works hard and succeeds so well that he is promoted several times. One day when he is leaving the store he accidentally bumps into a former cellmate named Hogan. Hogan learns that Ames has been successful in keeping the knowledge of his prison term from his employer, and uses this bit of information to blackmail Ames. Ames gives him money time and time again. Finally, however, Hogan's demands grow too strong and, after Ames' refusal to contribute further, Hogan tells Arnold of Ames' record. Ames is discharged and is unable to secure other work. The day comes when he is forced to take up his former profession in an effort to secure medicine for his sick wife. His child's doll gets mixed up in his bag of burglar tools, and it is through this clue that Arnold traces Ames, who has attempted to rob his former employer's house, and learns of the true state of affairs that exist in Ames' home. Arnold gives him his old job back again, and the past is forgotten.
- Two boys, Dan Woods, son of a poor widow, and Bert Ainslie, the scion of a rich one, are introduced in college. The scene opens at the tennis court on the college campus, then comes the girl, Nellie Wilson, beloved of both, but favoring the poor youth, Dan. The boys are about to leave college for vacation, and in the rush, the janitor throws a pair of tennis pumps belonging to Dan in Bert's trunk. Dan's mother, a widow, greets him proudly at the station. In contrast Bert is surrounded by all the luxuries that wealth can furnish, but this does not make, but rather seems to mar the man, for when Bert appears upon the scene, the chambermaid and all the other help rush for cover, as his hand is more free than clad. The chambermaid having escaped his clutches, rushes from the room, leaving the door of the safe open, where she has but recently placed a valuable pearl necklace of her mistress. The butler takes charge of the young man, who is much the worse for liquor and persuades him to go to bed. His confidant, the gambler, who accompanied him to the door, assumes his true role as a crook, climbs through the window and picks up various articles of value in the room (among others, the curling tongs that blacken his fingers). He then spies the safe and takes from it the string of pearls. When morning dawns, the poor maid sleepily appears, catches sight of the open safe. The alarm becomes general, but the cowardly Bert slinks out of trouble that his sober senses tell him is impending. Jealousy, however, still fans the flame in his breast and he discovers the tennis shoes belonging to his rival. He takes these shoes and throws them down near a fence that the burglar had evidently climbed over in making his escape. He returns to the house and the police and detectives arrive and the latter following the trail of the burglar, pick up the tennis shoes. The action shifts to the humble home of Dan Woods, where they are at breakfast. A plain-clothes man confronts Dan with an air that immediately alarms. His question is concerning the athletic shoes peculiarly marked that have been "planted" by the tricky Bert, so that the detectives could hardly overlook them. His arrest follows; his poor mother falls fainting to the floor. Ill news travels fast, and Dan's sweetheart comes to the little hamlet by the first train. Again the scene changes to the office of "Muntone, the great detective." The money retainer offered to secure the pearls is exciting comment in the realms of the thief catchers. Nellie, the sweetheart, visits the great detective and her importunings work mightier magic than the offers of big money. Muntone concludes to take up the case she pleads. Strangely enough, the great man does not appear as the police expert at all, but a ginseed rustic happens along in the neighboring bar, where the guilty gamblers and the astute ones are working out clues concerning the conviction of Dan Woods. He has more than one trick up his sleeve, however, and that is an inked cuff. One of the gamblers accidentally rubs his thumb against his rural neighbor's cuff, which has been carefully inked. The impress of his thumb is then transferred to the cards that the gambler is handling. Muntone palms the cards so accidentally marked, passes them through the window to his assistant on the outside, who compares it with the thumb marks on the handle of the curling-iron that was dropped the night of the robbery. They coincide; the link of evidence is complete. The gambler is arrested blackhanded. The pearls are recovered; Dan Woods is vindicated and released,
- A gambling cowboy taking a long chance, comes into possession of the Rawhide Weekly Rattler, and strikes a job that outdoes a brace of bucking-broncos for real nerve rack. The town-bore, the town-gossip, "visitors," old "subscriber," "Vox Populi" and all the other well meaning patience wreckers on the trail and will not even be dislodged, or discouraged even by exploding kegs of powder. As a finale he takes to the hurricane deck of a pony and flies to the high country.
- Tom Jones is a good farmer when sober, but a noisome pest when in liquor. His son and daughter, not to remark his wife, are much distressed over his growing weakness. One day the good doctor brings him home from the town groggery and tells the family that their "awful Dad" will soon have delirium tremens if he does not reform. An itinerant show with a menagerie comes that way, and the clever son digs into his savings and hires the outfit for a day. He stocks the barnyard with the animals. When the old man comes home at nightfall, he staggers out to milk a cow, and encounters a camel instead. He rushes into the barn and collides with an elephant. Then he flees to his room and real monkeys swarm over his bed. His family finally rescues him and he takes the pledge, promising never to drink again. The reform accomplished by this drastic method sticks, so it saves a good farmer for a useful life.
- George Graham, a well-to-do ranchman, has many good qualities, but one weakness, drunkenness. Jonas Meade, his foreman, a thrifty, stalwart man, is in love with his daughter Holly, but he learns, to his chagrin, that she is engaged to a city man, one Victor Wylie. It is gleaned, however, that Wylie is simply after her money, and prefers to get it without marrying her, if possible. This scheming individual visits the ranch and connives with a pair of desperadoes to get Graham drunk, and then make a will signing away all his money to him. Considering Graham's weakness, this is not a great feat of strength, and afterwards the conspirators carry him out into the desert and leave him to perish. They then realize that he must be dead, and proved dead, before the will they have so boldly secured, will be of any value. In the interim, the sharp-eared Jonas learns of the conspiracy, and with the assistance of an Indian, trails Graham out into the desert, and then to the home of a sheep-herder, who found him and saved him from death. They find an Indian skeleton recently unearthed by spring rains, which they place in the desert, where the conspirators are likely to hunt for it, together with portions of Graham's clothing. They then scatter fresh meat about, to attract the wolves. After this scheme is in train, they conduct Graham back to town and sequester him in his lawyer's office. The conspirators are anxious to put their claim in proof, and they go out into the desert and secure what they consider absolute evidence, but when they come to town with their little old bogus will, and what they believe are the remains of Graham, they are confronted by that worthy himself. Thereupon he swears to forego drink forever, and Holly happily realizes that Jonas is a real man, and that Wylie was only a commonplace villain.