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Lord Desborough and Captain Mostyn, both officers in the same regiment, are suitors for the hand of Muriel. Desborough wins and marries her, and thereby incurs the everlasting enmity of his rival. Their regiment is ordered to India, where Desborough falls under the wiles of an adventuress named Vivian Darville. His flirtation is duly reported to the absent wife by Mostyn, and the resultant future trouble between husband and wife, is fanned into flame by the jealousy of Rupert Lee, a young officer whom Vivian has driven to drink by her broken promises. On the return of the regiment to England the Desboroughs open their magnificent home, Desborough Hall, where in spite of the fact that Desborough is on the verge of bankruptcy, expensive entertainments are given under the patronage of the Countess, known as "The Sporting Duchess," because her aspirations are in the direction of hunting, horse racing and other phases of sporting life, rather than the less exciting functions of society. She is a woman of great wealth, keeps a large racing stable, and her liking for Desborough causes her to back his horse, Clipstone, for the Derby, as against King of Trumps, who is Mostyn's entry. Deciding to take unto herself a young husband, she selects Dr. Streatfield, a young army surgeon of fickle temperament, who has become engaged to Vivian Darville on the voyage home from England, and whom he introduces into the Desborough circle, only to find that his true affinity is Annette, daughter of Colonel Donnelly. Vivian's interest, however, goes no further than to be introduced into society through her engagement to Streatfield, and once under the Desborough roof, she begins to aid the villainous Mostyn in effecting a separation between the Desboroughs. This will open the way to Mostyn's attentions to Muriel, and at the same time secure revenge for Desborough's casting her off in India. But there is in the household, as nurse for the Desborough heir, Harold, Mary Aylmer, daughter of Desborough's stable trainer, whom Mostyn has betrayed under promise of marriage. She exacts fulfillment of that promise, and the plotters decide to remove her from the field of action at once. Mary reveals her condition to Muriel, who consults Desborough, and he writes her a letter stating that he will provide for her future, but cannot, of course, retain her in his household as preceptress to his own son. At the same time he also writes a letter to Vivian Darville, asking that their former relations be forgotten, and that she no longer should remain in his home, to disturb the restored tender relations between his wife and him. Mary shows the Desborough letter to Mostyn, who promises to do what he can for her in a secret way, at the same time retaining the letter. Going with it to Vivian, she shows him the letter she has received, and the method of parting the Desboroughs is at once revealed. The headings of both letters are torn away, substituting for each other, and two letters are the result, which furnish evidence of Desborough's guilt both with Mary and Vivian. Muriel already prepared by Mostyn for certain compromising disclosures, is shown the letter, believes that her husband is doubly false to her and accepts Mostyn's offer to act as her escort to London, followed by the irate husband. Mostyn takes Muriel to an out-of-the-way inn, where his perfidy is revealed, for she now discovers that his only motive in removing her from her home was to further his own evil designs. She tries to escape from her prison, and a struggle between them is interrupted by Desborough, who administers a severe beating to Mostyn, and informs Muriel that he will at once begin an action for separation. This action results in a sweeping verdict for Desborough. In spite of the earnest efforts of "The Sporting Duchess" and other good friends, and he is given the custody of the child. Harold, a heart-breaking interview taking place in the court chambers. Following his event the affairs of Desborough grow from bad to worse, and even his stable is to be sold. Including the great Clipstone, favorite for the Derby. Believing that Desborough is the betrayer of his daughter, the faithful trainer, Aylmer, deserts him, taking with him Dick Hammond, the lover of Mary, who was to be the mount for Clipstone. The days of sale for the Desborough stable is announced, and to save for Desborough his one hope to recoup his shattered fortunes, his friends decide to raise a fund for the purchase of Clipstone. But their efforts are unavailing, the sum subscribed is not sufficient, and "The Sporting Duchess" is appealed to by Doctor Streatfield and Annette Donnelly to buy the horse herself. Replying that she buys expensive horses only for her husband, the young people magnanimously decide to break the engagement of marriage between them, and the doctor becomes the affianced husband of the Duchess. At the sale the Duchess buys Clipstone; he wins the Derby and nothing is left for Mostyn but to leave the array and retire into solitude with his fellow plotter, Vivian Darville. The unfortunate Rupert Lee, In the cottage where he has been living with Vivian, overhears the interview between Mostyn and Vivian and determines to revenge himself by making atonement for his share in the plots against the Desboroughs, which is done by producing the two Desborough letters with the proper headings supplied. Accordingly the Desboroughs are reunited, the erring Mary is forgiven by her faithful lover, and "The Sporting Duchess," deciding that it is best to be the doctor's mother instead of his wife, restores him to the unhappy Annette Donnelly.

Ellis, an English barrister, goes to a hotel, in answer to a note of appeal, to rescue a woman he had formerly loved from the influence of her husband, a crook, who mistreats her. He takes her safely away, but shoots and wounds Gray, her husband. They flee, followed by threats of vengeance from Gray. Parr, an adventurer, occupying the room adjoining, has, unseen, witnessed the shooting affray. Ellis flees with Gray's wife for America. On the first day out she dies in childbirth and pleads with him to adopt her babe. Ellis agrees. Parr, who happens to be on the same ship, knows of the death of the mother and the adoption of the child. Ellis is ignorant of Parr's identity. Years later Ellis, happy with his ward, Betty, is in a secluded old mansion in America. He has never learned for certain whether or not Gray died and he is continually haunted by the thought that Gray might return. Parr, now an unscrupulous land dealer, visits Ellis's estate in an effort to purchase acreage which he knows to be rich in ore. He is astounded to recognize in Ellis the man whom he had seen shoot Gray 18 years before. Ellis flatly refuses to sell. Parr, angered, leaves, ready to employ a scheme to make Ellis leave the estate or sell it. Soon after, Betty is plunged into a state of constant fear by the growing terror of her old guardian. Betty sees and hears of a mysterious, ghostlike figure at nights and becomes convinced that her guardian is the victim of a frightful apparition, or fiend in human flesh. Nervous to the point of hysterics, she writes her guardian's young attorney, Briggs, to come to the mansion at Lone Willows. Briggs arrives, hears the strange story of the secret of the mansion, and resolves to stay until he has exposed the mysterious agent. He is not only unsuccessful, but in time becomes a haunted wreck, in as pitiable a plight as Ellis. Both men barricade the doors of the mansion. Betty, unable to gain access into the locked rooms, hurries to the city, notifies the police and goes to the home of her school chum, Claire Parr, to spend the night. During the night she is astounded to see Claire's father leave the house with a crook, Hart, both with masks. Hurriedly she seeks aid from the police and follows the men. The police arrive at Lone Willows to find the mansion a mass of flames. Inside the house a desperate battle is in progress between Ellis and Briggs and Parr and Hart. The two haunted men, having discovered Hart and Parr entering the mansion through a secret passage, believe they at last have the opportunity to *** their mysterious enemies. The police force their way into the house. Ellis and Briggs are rescued but the two crooks perish in the fire. Later Ellis learns the truth, that Parr had employed Hart, a crook, to "haunt" the mansion so that Ellis would believe Gray was carrying out his threat to *** him and reveal himself as Betty's real father. In this way he hoped to force Ellis to vacate the estate. In reality Gray died after being shot by Ellis years before. The entire affair is kept secret from Betty, and Ellis, now free for the first time from his hallucination, prepares to celebrate the wedding of Briggs and Betty.

The world's finest ruby was stolen from the bride of Prince Kassim's great-grandfather several generations ago in India by a marauding rajah. It's now several decades later and the British have conquered India, and one day the ruby shows up for sale by a wealthy London jeweler, Sir John Garnett. Garnett has his own problems--there have been a rash of thefts of his wife's jewels, and he hires a private detective named James Brett to investigate. An agent for the Russian czar expresses interest in buying the ruby, but he's actually a member of a gang that specializes in jewel thefts and steals the ruby, hiding it in a box of chocolates belonging to Garnett's wife. Unbeknownst to Garnett, the jewel thieves and even Garnett's wife, she is actually involved in the theft of her jewels. Complications ensue.

A young sheep herder, whom his associates had dubbed "The Cringer," because of his physical fear, was one day attending to a sick kid out of his flock, when some cowboys, who are a sheep herder's natural enemy, come upon him. They make sport of him and rough him up a bit, leaving him cringing on the ground. They then ride into town and have a blow-out. Muck Peters, the owner of the sheep, a renowned character for stinginess and brutality, happens to see the cringer nursing the goat and in his anger strikes the cringer to the ground. The cringer drags himself away from him back to his sheep, where he tells Joe, a stoic herder, of his mishaps and is again knocked to the ground by his fellow herder. His thoughts are not so much of himself as for the poor little kid. When he thinks of the suffering of the little goat his whole nature transforms itself. He determines to show them that he fears nothing. He steals one of his employer's horses, rides into a mountain city, sets fire to a barn, so that the citizens may be drawn thereto by the conflagration, enters a hank and holds it up, the cashier being alone as the remainder of the clerks have gone to the fire. He falls an easy prey to the cringer, but presses a button to the Protective Service Office, thereby giving the alarm that the bank is in danger. The cringer gets away with a sack of money, but through a daughter of the captain of the Protective Service, who runs to the fire and warns the cowpunchers that the bank has been robbed, the cringer is soon compelled to take to cover in an old abandoned log hut, where he makes his last stand, and he compels the posse to shoot him, dying with the words on his lips, "I wasn't afraid."

Bob and Lena want to get married, but first they have to get around the objections of Lena's father.

To keep his social-climbing wife and daughters in the lifestyle they are accustomed to, wealthy John Hunter makes some large investments in the stock market, but the stocks crash and he loses a great deal of money. When he discovers that his son-in-law Dick Sterling has lost $3 million making investments in his name, Hunter kills himself. His wealthy aunt offers to bail the family out, but on the condition that the money she gives must be under Sterling's strict control. Complications ensue.

The Jordans, Phil and Ruth, accompanied by Philip's wife, Polly, and Dr. Winthrop Newbury, a suitor for Ruth's hand, bid old Mrs. Jordan good-bye at the station of Milford Corners, Mass., and depart for the west, to work over some unredeemed desert land, which was left to the Jordans by their dead father. Arriving in the west, they take up their work, but it proves anything but a success. On the brink of the Great Divide lives Stephen Ghent, an untamed and untrained man of the west, and on account of his manner is respected by the habitués of Miller's saloon and dance hall in the town, which he and two of his acquaintances in the persons of Pedro, a half-breed Mexican, and Dutch, a brutal type of the west, frequent. Polly tires of western life and jumps at the chance to take a trip to Frisco. Philip drives her down to the station that night. On an adjoining ranch a cowpuncher is seriously hurt and a boy is dispatched for Dr. Newbury. After cautioning Ruth to retire early, the doctor takes his leave. Stephen Ghent, Pedro, and Dutch are down in the town drinking. They afterward depart and start up the Coldwater Trail, which runs alongside of the Jordan home. As they pass the dimly lighted cabin, they see a woman standing in the doorway. Cautiously approaching the door, they enter the cabin and Ruth is overpowered. Dutch and Ghent fight a duel for her in which Dutch is killed. Pedro is bought off by Ghent with a string of nuggets, and Ruth belongs to him. In the man of the woods, Ruth recognizes the ideal man she desires for a helpmate. Ruth agrees to marry Ghent and live as his wife in name only until he has changed his character. Ghent agrees and they are married. Ghent then brings her to his cabin. As day by day goes by, Ruth begins to see other qualities in her husband and also to believe in him. One night, however, Ghent filled with a desire for her and goaded on by the whiskey that is in him breaks his promise. Ruth denounces him for his actions and tells him that not until he has purged himself through suffering will she ever believe in him again. She also tells him that she is going to earn enough money to buy back the string of nuggets from Pedro, with which he managed to get her into his power. Some time later Ruth departs for town to sell her last blanket. She has been weaving Navajo blankets in order to raise the necessary amount to buy back the nuggets. In the meantime the Jordans become disgusted and prepare to go back east. While waiting at the station they find Ruth, who has just completed the sale of her blanket. They see her start up the trail and follow her on foot. Ruth buys back the string of nuggets from Pedro, but she has not time to turn it over to Ghent upon her arrival at the cabin before she is overtaken by the others. It is her desire to have them believe she is happy and refuses to go back east with them. She introduces Ghent to them just as they are ready to catch the train. Ghent, unable to understand her changed attitude, starts to thank her. She tells him that circumstances forced her to act as she did, but that she is now able to buy back her freedom from him. Ghent is stunned, and at first refuses to let her go, but when she tells him of the life that is to come and that it is their duty to protect its happiness through a mother's love, he finally releases her from her promise, and Ruth, with the sense of newfound freedom, starts down the trail to overtake the others before it is too late. Ghent's attention as he looks after her is suddenly attracted to a bit of trembling earth on the mountainside. He realizes the great danger that Ruth is in and starts down the trail to rescue her. He is just in time and has thrown her to one side when the landslide comes upon him and carries him into the valley below. The rumbling sound has caused the others to look back. A reunion takes place over the injured Ghent. He is brought to the cabin, where he recovers under the care and attention of Dr. Newbury and Ruth. Ruth tells him that he has purged himself through his suffering and once more the couple start out in life upon a happier basis.

A mother with two young children survives the San Francisco earthquake disaster.

The scene is laid in one of the trading posts of the Hudson Bay Company and the young factor, Malcolm Young, loves Utoka, the pretty daughter of the chief of a nearby tribe. Jules Laprese also loves the girl and the half-breed hates Malcolm as much as he loves the pretty Indian maiden. Only Utoka's watchfulness saves the young factor's life on several occasions and this loving care is relaxed only when Jules brings her a letter and photograph which he has stolen from the factor. The picture is that of a beautiful young white girl and the loving message that accompanies it leaves small room for question of the factor's lack of good faith. Utoka is prostrated by grief and Jules leads her father to believe that a more serious wrong has been wrought by the head of the trading post. With his braves the old chief captures the factor and drags him, a prisoner, to the camp where Malcolm is put to torture before the fire is to mercilessly end his sufferings. Meanwhile Utoka, who cannot believe her lover guilty, seeks the post and discovers what has taken place. With the good father, the missionary who keeps pace with the advance of the Hudson Bay posts, Utoka returns to the camp and saves the life of the factor. He proves that the letter was from his sister and not from some sweetheart in Montreal and the half-breed is made to suffer punishment for the affront he has put upon the tribe.

Jack Oakley is a gambler, but different from many of his profession, he was square to everyone. When he came to the palace to deal poker, he surprised the habitués of the place by telling them that his game would he run "on the level" or not at all. He was not there long before he was obliged to call two crooked card men and run them out of the palace. A few days later he was surprised to see these crooks chasing down the road after a lone defenseless girl. He immediately gave chase and put them to flight. The girl was Marion Darrick, daughter of a ranch owner. Marion had a brother Tom who had a craze for ***. He went so far as to steal money from his father. He frequently sat in Jack's game but invariably lost. One day Jack thought he would teach him a lesson. He stacked the cards and relieved him of every cent. Almost crazed the boy arose from the table, wondering how he would return the stolen money when Jack stopped him and, with this advice, "Never touch a card again; you don't know the game," he handed Tom the money he took from him. Marion had followed him to the palace to try and prevent the loss of the stolen money. She arrived in time to see Jack slip a card in his boot and calling the sheriff, sent him in to save Tom's money. The gambler admitted stacking the cards and when the sheriff heard his explanation he shook his hand for being the squarest gambler he ever met. Later Jack and Marion fell in love, but her father objected to Jack's attention to his daughter because he was a gambler. Jack saw that he was a social outcast and decided to quit the game forever. On the day Jack left the town Marion's father went to the little town bank to draw the monthly pay roll for his cowboys, but on his way back to the ranch he was held up and robbed by the outlaws Jack had twice encountered. Again he came across them, but this time he held them until the sheriff arrived and took them. Marion's father saw his mistake in classing Jack with the majority. With the consent of Marion, Jack asked Darrick for the hand of his daughter, which was freely given and Jack received his reward.

The Russian Czar sends his trusted confidant, Michael Strogoff, to warn his brother the Grand Duke of a Tartar rebellion that will be led by Feofar Khan and Ivan Ogareff.

Alice's father favors Morgan, but she loves Stephen, the dissolute nephew of her. father's enemy, and they elope. The shock causes her father's death. Stephen keeps putting off the marriage ceremony and she returns to her father's home, not knowing her father died. Stephen hastens after her, explains that his uncle is daily expected to die and he will disinherit him if he marries her. Stephen forges a check, cashes it and is caught before he can escape. On the eve of Stephen's trial, Morgan is working late preparing the case, when a masked figure enters. At the point of a gun, he takes the evidence from Morgan and flees. Morgan pursues. The chase leads to a bedroom and Alice appears before him in negligee. Morgan obtains from Alice the stolen papers. Alice threatens with a revolver and pleads for the papers, explaining that Stephen swore to marry her if she prevents his conviction by stealing the evidence against him. Stephen, in the meantime, escapes from jail, finds Morgan and Alice in the seemingly compromising position, dares Morgan to phone for the police and sneeringly offers to let Morgan have Alice all to himself for a sum of money. Enraged at the insult to Alice and himself, Morgan almost strangles Stephen. The warden and guards arrive and Stephen is accidentally killed trying to escape. Alice faints in Morgan's arms as picture ends.

Nat Duncan and Harry Kellogg are college mates. Nat is the scion of a supposed rich family, while Harry has nothing but the expenses of an education. While Harry is in his diggings hard at work to make good in his college course, we find Nat with riotous companions of both sexes, finding two automobiles insufficient to carry the large party he is entertaining, and resulting in his arrest for stealing a trolley car and telephoning to his pal to find bail for him. However, with sufficient pride not to suffer the odium of a plucking at exams, Nat manages to secure a degree, while Harry graduates with high honors, and begins a business career in the mercantile firm of Bartlett and Co. Nat's father dies when it is discovered that the estate is bankrupt. Harry secures for him a berth as commercial traveler with Bartlett and Co., and after a turn at expensive living, his career as a drummer is closed when he sends home an account, with expenses set at $361.20 and sales $97.50. He tries many means of livelihood, all unsuccessful. One night his old friend, Harry, rescues him from a park bench and takes him home to his own apartment. Nat, driven almost to desperation by his continued failures, is willing to grasp at any straw that will keep his head above water, and with the characteristic remark, "God help the future Mrs. Duncan," he signs a contract with Harry. This contract specifies, that he is to renounce forever, liquor and tobacco, that he must go regularly to church, that he must not swear or use slang, and that he must secure some position in the chosen village of Redville, which will afford the opportunity of meeting the heiress he is to win. The contract is religiously kept, and Nat soon causes real excitement in the town of Redville, but his abstemious habits his studious nights, and his close attention to his religious duties are noted. But the position he must secure so as to repay Harry the five hundred dollars loaned him for working capital does not materialize and he finally applies for employment to an old druggist and inventor named Samuel Graham. Graham, in his eagerness to create fame and fortune for himself out of his inventions, has left his drug business fall into decay, and his only daughter, Betty, has grown up as the household drudge. Naturally, the old man cannot afford to pay a clerk; Nat offers to work for nothing if Graham will teach him the business. This proposition is accepted and immediately Nat developed an adaptability he had never dreamed of before. With some of his money he pays long-standing accounts against Graham which restores his credit. Lockwood, the village banker, whose daughter Nat has chosen to be the bride of his agreement forecloses a mortgage against Graham, and Nat pays it. A party is to be given in honor of the arrival of so desirable a young man in the village. Betty has no dress to wear, and with his remaining $32.80, Nat buys that. Immediately the old prestige of the store is revived, it is filled with customers, and the old man now has ample time to work at his patents. A machine for manufacturing illuminating gas from crude oil attracts the attention of a young promoter named Burnham, who makes the inventor an offer of $500 for it, but Nat refuses to permit him to accept it. At the party given by the Lockwoods, Nat becomes engaged to Josie, the banker's daughter, and then Betty discovers for the first time that she loves Nat herself. A rival to Nat's affections is Roland Barnett a clerk in the Lockwood Bank, and he believing that the interloper must have an unsavory record, takes measures to unearth it. Nat has been very earnest in his attentions to business, and has devoted much time to the study of chemistry. When the work of both inventors demand more room, the old living quarters above the store are turned into laboratories, and a new home is secured more befitting the altered circumstances of the Grahams. Nat's invention is a death-dealing appliance which he calls an aero-grenade. Betty is unhappy in the new home for uneducated as she is she knows that she can never grace it. Nat has not the money to pay for Betty's education, but she has a rich uncle. Colonel Bohun in the village who, when Betty's mother died, was denied privilege of adopting her and has bitterly resented what he considered a slight. Nat's first meeting with the Colonel is not successful, but he finally wins over the old man and Betty is sent to school at his expense. The metamorphosis in the girl under the influences of education and young women of refinement is almost magical, and when she comes home for Thanksgiving holidays she creates a stir in Nat's soul which makes him forget everything. At this juncture Harry receives a letter setting forth the state of things, and he at once takes a train for Redville. Now Nat is unhappier than ever, for Harry refuses to release him from his singular agreement, and what is harder to bear, he takes a strong fancy to Betty himself. Meanwhile, Roland's private detective sends an old newspaper containing an account of the absconding of a defaulter, and expressing the opinion that no doubt Nat must be the culprit. Before he can make use of his discovery, however, a great calamity comes to the quiet sleepy Redville. While Nat is demonstrating his aero-grenade to some capitalists who have made an offer for that and the gas machine, it explodes setting the laboratory on fire. Graham, Harry and the capitalists escape from the burning room, but in trying to extinguish the flames meant to be unquenchable, Nat is hopelessly imprisoned in the laboratory, surrounded by flames. But the invention of old Graham proves to be a life saver in its destruction, for when the fire reaches the gas tank it explodes, blowing out the front of the building and Betty herself drags him insensible through the aperture, when men dared not venture near it. Roland goes to the Lockwoods with his evidence against Nat. It has the effect intended, for when Nat is faced by it, he refuses either to affirm or deny it, the engagement with Josie is terminated and he finds that Betty has loved him all along.

Ewing, a get-rich-quick capitalist, salts the quartz of a distant western valley and thus starts a gold rush to the supposedly rich mining field. He remains on the field until he has sold as much land as he dare to the over-eager prospectors and returns to the city, leaving his son, Bob, in charge at the valley to lend an appearance of good-will on the part of the schemers. Bob, a young fellow not long out of college, has not given serious thought to the father's scheme, but with the daily evidence of disappointment on the part of the unsuspecting prospectors, the lad's conscience awakens. Bob's aversion to the scheme is made stronger by his growing intimacy with Dora, pretty young sister of Royce, an evangelist. Dora has come to the camp in order to seek Royce's protection to shield her from her scapegrace husband, Flint, a drunkard. Bob lives in the hut adjoining Royce and Dora. He pleads for her hand in marriage, but Dora, concealing the unhappy secret of her married life, can only answer in the negative. Flint traces Dora to the camp and arrives with demands for money, threatening to reveal himself to Bob if she refuses. Royce ejects him bodily from his cabin. Infuriated, Flint slinks from the settlement. His rage now is also directed against the miners, who have divined his real character and have stoned him from the valley. Royce wants to invest his savings in a mining claim. Bob in refusing to sell him a claim is compelled to confess his father's deception. He squares himself with the evangelist by promising to return to the miners every cent of the money they have invested in claims. On the same night, Flint strikes up an acquaintanceship with Kelly and Sanders, highwaymen, who are planning to rob the well-filled safe of the camp's saloon and *** hall. The three men go to the crest of the precipice on the following day to plan the burglary. As they gaze down at the populous camp nestling at the foot of the cliff, they see the entire population making for the private train of Ewing, which has just been parked on a railway siding. The angry men have just discovered Ewing's dishonesty, and, not knowing Bob's good intention to return to them their money, they have gone to inflict bodily revenge on the dishonest promoter. The highwaymen see that this is an opportune moment to perform the robbery. They leave Flint at the top of the cliff with instructions to fire three times when he sees the crowd of men start back to the village. While the infuriated mob storms Ewing's private car, Kelly and Sanders overcome the sole occupant left in the *** hall and proceed to blow the safe. Bob, meanwhile, tights his way through the mob surrounding the car, carrying with him the money invested by the prospectors, and determined to force his father to make restitution. Ewing, awed by the anger of the crowd and cornered by his determined son, tells the mob he will pay them hack, dollar for dollar. At the same time one of the three colleagues accompanying Ewing, instructs the engineer to depart. The special speeds away, followed by hundreds of the miners on horseback. The engineer, traveling on the hastily arranged schedule, is surprised by a freight train coming in an opposite direction. The horsemen draw rein, horrified at the sight of the impending catastrophe. The trains come together in a head-on collision, leaving only a snarl of wreckage. While the prospectors hurry to the scene of the wreck and extract the, dead and injured bodies of the promoters from the debris, a messenger from camp informs them of the robbery. The entire male populace pursue and finally *** Kelly and Sanders. Flint has sought refuge in Dora's cabin, after carrying out a fiendishly conceived plan to ignite a fuse leading to the powder pit at the top of the cliff, knowing the resultant *** will tear away the top of the mountain and topple it down upon the settlement. Dora runs frantically from cabin to cabin warning the inhabitants of the ***, while the evangelist, Royce, struggles with Flint in the cellar of his cabin. Just as Dora pulls the last of the women left in the camp to a place of safety the *** occurs. The entire top of the cliff hurtles through space, causing a gigantic landslide and crushing the cabins below as if they were so many egg shells. Royce has just killed Flint in the cellar, but, unable to escape the landslide, remains imprisoned beneath the debris. Villagers finally rescue him. Bob's father is dead, but he finds solace in the thought that he can return all of the prospectors the money invested in the useless land. Dora has agreed to wed Bob, now that her husband is dead, and they leave the camp for the city, content in the thought that justice has been administered. Bob takes with him "Granny" Dean, an aged widow of the camp, determined to "adopt" her as his mother.

A photoplay is wanted quick. The manager calls in the director to give him one in a hurry. The director shows him several scripts, but they do not suit; so the director is compelled to call the scenario writer to have a play written in an hour. The director summons his company and reads the play to them; then tells them to make up, while he gives his plots to the stage manager. Being weary, he falls asleep in a chair in the center of the stage and dreams the following: A young girl, employed in an office, falls in love with the head clerk. The boss is a black mustached villain, who is also in love with the girl. To make an impression he gives her his photo, which she throws with contempt on the table. He then tries to embrace her. She calls for help, when her sweetheart (the head clerk) comes to her rescue. At this juncture, the heavy man is not strong enough in the part and the director stops the play and shows him what to do. The play is resumed, the "heavy" throws the head clerk into a vault and locks him in, then embraces the girl, who repulses him and runs. The clerk by his superior strength batters down the steel vault door and escapes. The "heavy" pursues the unfortunate girl up the fire-escape to the roof, then to the water tower, where she defends her honor by beating him over the head with an iron rod. Fearing she has killed him she makes her retreat, only to be pursued by the villain. Rushing to the edge of the roof, she sees her lover, and calls him. He tells her to jump. She does so and alights safely in his arms. Undaunted, the villain, saying she shall not escape me, leaps six stories to the ground. Landing uninjured, he starts in pursuit. Here is where the detective takes up the trail, and after a long chase catches the villain. The stage hands, in setting the stage, allow a piece of scenery to fall upon the director, which awakens him from his dream.

A serving girl receives a telegram that she has come into an inheritance. The family she works for suddenly starts to treat her well, and several young men come to court her. Then she receives another telegram telling her the inheritances is only $25. All her new 'friends' desert her, except her poor boyfriend, Cy.

A singular metamorphosis of fate transforms Patsy into a veritable melodramatic hero. After the dream he had in episode Number Ten we find him bound for the great city leaving no trace of his whereabouts. But the watchful Jane inserts a personal in a newspaper telling of his mother's illness and asking him to write. Arriving at the market place with the farmer, he sets out to make his way in the city and, having a considerable part of the money gained as a prize for life saving, he decks himself out in a new suit of clothes. He encounters an engaging bunco steerer, known to the police as Bunco Bill, the Crying Crook, and although many times warned by a friendly policeman named Flinn, Bill's tears cause him to believe his new friend a much persecuted man, who, after introducing Patsy to some companions, who fleece him of a goodly amount of his money at cards takes him to sleep with him and poor Patsy awakens in the morning to find he has been robbed of his last penny. However he has seen the personal in the newspaper and telegraphed home to say that he is well and happy and will return home when he has made good. On receipt of the telegram Jane discovers that Jack and his wife Mary are about to visit the city and induces them to take her with them. On the morning after their arrival while Jane is setting out to find some trace of Patsy he is sitting in his room contemplating suicide. Finding a pistol in a bureau drawer he tries to shoot himself but the weapon is not loaded, and when he tries to hang himself to an electric fixture, he pulls that and the plaster from the ceiling down on his head. Then, wandering into the streets, he several times misses the faithful Jane who, assisted by Officer Flinn, is searching the streets and resorts. In one of these resorts Bunco Bill is encountered and refuses to tell Flinn where Patsy is, but agrees to tell Jane, and she asks him to come to her hotel. That night Patsy decides upon ending his life by a plunge in the river and proceeds to the dock where he sits for a few moments of reflection, an event which results in making him famous. Bunco Bill and the yeggmen have decided to do away with Officer Flinn for his continued sleuthing, and luring him into a chase after them, lead him to the very dock where Patsy is considering his fatal plunge. A struggle occurs between Flinn and the yeggmen and he is thrown into the river and saved by Patsy. In the police station Patsy is elevated to the position of a real hero and is induced to accept a position on the force. Meanwhile Bill and some of the yeggmen repair to Jane's hotel, and Bill sends in his card. She hurries to meet her caller in the office and at once consents to go with him. But Mary not wishing that she shall go alone on such a doubtful errand, insists upon accompanying her and enters the taxicab with her and the yeggmen. As the cab pulls away Patsy dressed as a policeman clings on behind it, and when the yeggmen attempt to force the young women into a building in an alley, Patsy effects their rescue and the picture ends with Patsy and Jane in each other's arms tor the first time.

Two members of the Never-Drop Aero Club claim that they can reach the moon by the aeroplane. They get an astronomer to get his telescope out and see how the conditions are on the moon. He comes on with a big telescope and looks through it, finds everything in fine condition from earth to moon, so the party start out. As they rise and turn upside down then right side up, they start on their journey to the moon. They pass over a busy city, knocking down buildings and chimneys. After passing over the city they come in contact with the planet Saturn. Bump it, encircle it, and then on their way to the moon they ride through the air and see an old man coming out of the planet Mars. The anchor on the aeroplane accidentally catches the old man by the neck and carries him off. The old man tries to get away, and he sees Halley's comet coming along and he grabs hold of the tail of the comet and goes away. One of the men in the aeroplane sees him and takes out a lasso. With a couple of swings he catches the old man around the neck and drags him behind. At last the moon is reached. The man in the moon opens his mouth and they all go in. The party drop from top of the moon all in a heap. They get up, look around and a large bird comes in and lays an egg larger than itself and flies off. The travelers put the egg on a fire, which is burning nearby. The egg cracks and a lot of little birds are hatched. Suddenly a strange animal comes on the scene and eats the little birds one by one. The animal fills up and bursts. Another enormous crazy-looking animal comes out of the cave and chases the men off the moon into the sea.

At the beginning of hostilities, Tom Winston, despite the pleadings of his sister Ellen, an ardent Confederate, goes North and acquires a commission in the Federal Army. Frank Carey has entered the Confederate service, though his sister Ethel, furiously denounces him as a traitor, and asserts her intention of herself serving the Union. Both girls become identified with the secret service department of the South and North, respectively. Tom is with Grant, Frank with Johnston, and the armies' movements bring them into the neighborhood of their homes. Tom has with him Don, a dog that had been used in the old days to carry messages between his master and Ethel. Union headquarters are established in the Winston home, affording Ellen an opportunity to acquire many valuable secrets which she communicates to Frank, and it is the belief that some officer is proving a traitor. Tom watches his sister closely, and one night observes that as she sits merrily chatting with the Union officers, she is using her fan in such a manner as to make the dots and dashes of the Morse code to Frank, who is concealed in the shrubbery, making notes of the information. Tom discovers Frank, overpowers him, and succeeds in taking from him the memoranda, but allows him to escape. Tom places the memoranda in his pocket. The Battle of Shiloh has begun and Tom is given an important dispatch, ordering up supporting brigades. He proceeds on his mission, but is pursued and badly wounded. Unable to go on, Tom gives the dispatch to Don, telling him to carry it to Ethel. Don does his part, and Ethel undertakes to deliver the order. She is hotly pursued by Confederate cavalry, and only escapes by jumping her horse from a cliff into the river, a deed which none of her pursuers will attempt. They do not fire upon her, but wave their hats and cheer as her horse swims the stream and climbs the other bank. The dispatch is delivered, and the reinforcements begin a forced march to the assistance of the Federals. Meanwhile, Tom has been picked up by a Federal party, unconscious, but not dangerously wounded. The memoranda taken from Frank is found in his pocket, and it is concluded that he is the supposed traitor. A drum-head court-martial condemns him to he shot. The battle is now raging fiercely, the victorious Confederates pressing steadily forward. The Federal position is carried. Tom is captured and sent to the Confederate rear, where he succeeds in eluding his guards. Despite the sentence hanging over him, he determines to rejoin his troops. Johnston is killed, the triumphant advance of the Confederates falters. Tom reaches the Union lines, he rallies a breaking regiment and leads a fierce charge. The tide of battle is turned; Frank is captured. The battle lulls, the Confederates sullenly withdraw from the field. Tom is immediately arrested and placed under guard. Frank learns of the fate in store for Tom, and to save him, confesses himself to be the spy, Tom is released. Frank is held as a spy, but cleverly effects his escape. Frank goes to his home to attempt to induce his sister to go South with him, as he must accompany the southern army further into the Confederacy. Tom has gone to see his sister, to endeavor to induce her to give up her dangerous work as a Confederate spy, and has been captured by a squad of Confederates while at his home. He sends a note to Ethel informing her of his situation. Ethel secures several Federal troopers and makes her brother a prisoner. Under a white flag, Ethel and her squad approach the Winston home, and Ethel proposes an exchange of prisoners. This is agreed to, as well as a temporary truce; then Tom and Ethel turn to the North, while Frank and Ellen ride away into the Confederacy.

During a rehearsal of his new play, Peter Richards recognizes in Mary Walters a well-known leading lady of 20 years before. She has met with reverses and is now employed as wardrobe woman in the company which is producing his play. On opening night, the play is a failure, and the manager who financed it decides to take it off immediately. Mary Walters is the only one in the theater who has feeling enough to show sympathy for the author in his misfortune. An extra girl's chance remark gives Peter an idea for another play, which he writes and calls "Granny," and he has enough confidence in Mary Walters' ability to offer her the leading part, which she gratefully accepts. Confident of its success, Peter's ambition is to produce "Granny" at the same theater where his former play met with such complete failure, but the manager refuses to produce it and Peter is forced to sell his home in order to secure enough money to put on the play. During his days of trouble Peter sees Mary's worth and as he walks with her to the theater on the opening night, they pass a quaint little church and Peter asks her to share the future with him, no matter what the night may bring them. Mary consents and they enter the rectory and are quietly married, after which they go to the theater for the opening performance. Peter's judgment is vindicated and the play is a hit.

Evelyn, in order to care for her invalid mother and young sister, for some time has been a cabaret performer at the restaurant of Brady, a dissolute and repulsive brute, who has taken a fancy to the girl and, in order to secure a firm hold upon her, has advanced her money. Worn out by her battle, Evelyn goes one Sunday morning to a village near the city to seek repose and, in the absence of the organist of the village church, volunteers to take her place. She meets Abner Duncan, comparatively young and wealthy, but through training a stern Puritan. Unconsciously they fall in love, but neither realizes this for some time. Evelyn continues to come to the village and is presently the subject of gossip, as she discloses nothing whatever concerning herself, and even Duncan in his narrowness has not faith enough in his own heart to accept her. Evelyn ceases to go to the village, and Duncan begins to realize that without her his life is sad. Evelyn has been told by the doctor that the only hope of saving her mother's life lies in sending her to the south within two months. Evelyn attempts to borrow the necessary money from Brady, but he refuses, telling her, however, that he will make her a wedding present of $1,000. Duncan is a large contributor to the Society for Moral Uplift, and is appointed a member of the investigating committee, which is looking into the matter of cabaret shows. On his first tour of inspection, Duncan sees Evelyn and is horrified. Thereafter he sternly attempts to put the girl out of his mind, but fails. At last he yields to his love and determines to marry her. Going to the city, he seeks information at the restaurant, and is directed to the apartments upstairs. Here he finds Evelyn, and recklessly declares his love. Evelyn pulls aside a pair of curtains and discloses the repulsive form of Brady, sprawling in a drunken stupor. She tells Duncan that his awakening is too late, that for a week she has been the wife of Brady. Crushed, Duncan stumbles away. Evelyn smooths out and re-reads a crumpled telegram from her sister in the south, which tells her that, after all, her terrible sacrifice was in vain, that her mother died that morning.

In Chapter 8, "A Partner To Providence", His lordship rides a train that is mistakenly rerouted into a headlong collision into another engine, with the well-worn Lubin train crash footage ensuing. He's pulled out of the wreck and recuperates with a rural family. He recuperates enough to win a fight with a crook at the end.

The story of a man's gratitude to a snake for saving his life: He takes the snake home to live with him and then conceives the idea of having the snake *** the man who stole his sweetheart. He places it in the other man's bed. But when the little daughter of the girl he had once loved creeps into the bed, he has a change of heart.

Laura Jackson, left an orphan, comes to the city to obtain employment, but finds employers unsympathetic, and discovers that it is almost impossible for a woman to make a living wage. Her funds are getting low when a contrast between the two bulletins in front of an employment agency impresses her. A male stenographer is offered fifteen dollars and a girl but three. With her small savings she purchases a complete outfit, and as her own brother, sets forth to obtain employment. Her trim appearance is in her favor, and she not only quickly obtains employment, but she wins the love of the girl stenographer, and is forced to disclose her secret to the girl. The bookkeeper is jealous of the stenographer's love for the new clerk, and seeks to obtain his dismissal by concealing some bills in the boy's pocket and reporting his loss. But the stenographer has overseen the action and sets matters straight. Desperate at discovery the bookkeeper aims a blow at his rival that fells Laura to the floor, and in her excitement the stenographer discloses the secret of her ***. Laura is sent to the hospital with concussion of the brain, but makes rapid recovery and returns to her position, now in the proper garments of her ***, to become a member of the firm through marriage with its head.

For generations, ill feeling has existed between the Cavalier Yancy family living on one side of Bitter Creek and the Puritan Kirbys on the other. Over the creek is a covered bridge built by Yancy long ago. The Yancy family consists of Clay Yancy, his widowed sister, and her little daughter Virginia In the Kirby house are Horace Kirby, his 3-year-old son Robert, and Horace's sister Carolina. Despite the ill feeling between the factions, Clay Yancy is courting Carolina Kirby. One day Horace happens to come upon the sweethearts just as Yancy has merrily demanded a kiss as toll for crossing the bridge. Carolina, fearing a quarrel between Clay and Horace, pretends to refuse, on which Clay swears that never again shall a Kirby cross the bridge until a woman of their house buys freedom with a kiss. A toll gate is erected and all but Kirbys are permitted to pass free; a bitter, bloody feud ensues. Yancy's sister dies and he rears little Virginia as his own, never marrying; neither does Carolina wed. Twenty years pass. The toll gate has been maintained. Robert Kirby and Yancy's niece Virginia have grown to maturity and are attending the same college. They fall in love and get married, hoping to bring peace to Bitter Creek. Virginia hears that her Uncle Clay has been wounded and feels that she must go to him. Robert also goes home, but for a time they keep their marriage secret. Jed Tolliver, a Yancy clansman, has loved Virginia and renews his attentions. The Kirbys, defeated in the long war, have resorted to the courts and the Supreme Court declares that the toll gate is illegal and must be removed. Clay Yancy is furious and determines to blow up the bridge. Jed Tolliver accordingly lays the mines. Virginia tells Robert that she is afraid of Tolliver. He must take her away, and the announcement of their marriage be no longer delayed. Robert and his wife cross to the Yancy side and are recognized, and their retreat is cut off. They flee back across the bridge. Tolliver fires the mine and is himself killed, but Robert and Virginia reach the other side and go to the Kirby home, where they are warmly received by Horace Kirby, who had loved Virginia's mother. From the wreck of the old bridge a small metal box is discovered and is taken to Clay Yancy. The box had been used by the lovers to leave letters, but Clay had never looked into it since the quarrel. He finds in the box a letter placed there by Carolina on the day of the quarrel, telling Clay that if he will send her a red rose she will go to him and pay the toll demanded. A new iron bridge is built over the creek, and one day Carolina receives a red rose. She realizes that Clay has learned the truth and goes joyously to pay the toll.