Billie is the "little mother" of the family and cares for the two smaller children. Her father has fallen under the spell of drink. Billie has become hardened by her struggle against the drink demon in her father and treats him with scant consideration.
In their small-minded New England village Liz and her alcoholic father are rejected by the townspeople. When the new minister, Henry Penfield, comes to town he is attracted to Liz. Also arriving on the same train is young artist Arnold Brice. He takes a fancy to the prettiest girl in town, Mildred Holcombe who is the daughter of a deacon of the church. Mildred and Arnold fall in love, but her brother Arthur threatens to kill the artist if he finds them together. Heedless of Arthur's threats, Mildred goes to Arnold's studio, however Liz sees Arthur following and runs to the studio to warn them. Upon Arthur arrival Liz makes it seem it was she having an affair with Arnold. The deacons plan to banish Liz but Henry discovers the truth, resigns and announces his engagement to Liz.
Jackie's father runs a general store that is on the brink of bankruptcy. To save it, Jackie borrows $2,000 from the local millionaire, Mr. Skinner, and renovates the store into a modern haberdashery. This sparks a rivalry with J. Smythe, a fashionable ladies' milliner from Paris who opens a shop across the street. A pair of kidnappers plot to abduct Mr. Skinner's daughter, Evelina, for ransom. They overhear Evelina mention she plans to buy a specific dress displayed in Smythe's window. However, Jackie buys the dress first, leading the criminals to kidnap her by mistake. Jackie is held in a deserted house. J. Smythe, who has developed feelings for Jackie despite their business rivalry, comes to her rescue. In a comedic turn, Jackie ends up saving him from a beating by dropping heavy jugs on the kidnappers' heads from above.
In Imperial Russia, Anna, wife of the officer Karenin, goes to Moscow to visit her brother. On the way, she meets charming cavalry officer Vronsky, to whom she's immediately attracted. But in St. Petersburg’s high society, a relationship like this could destroy a woman’s reputation.
When wealthy Edith Carroll, naïve and flighty, is introduced to the social but roguish Hubert Ranston, she is infatuated despite being engaged to contractor Joe Brooks. Even after her marriage she keeps up the flirtation, but the foolhardiness of her actions becomes clear when Hubert is exposed as a jewel thief who has made off with many baubles including some of Edith’s.
Half-breed Nor is loved by French Canadian Jacques but when they quarrel, she meets Englishman Cedric Ralston who has been jilted by his fiancée Margaret for his elder brother, Lord Ralston. Later, Nor and Cedric are married, but on the day of their wedding, Cedric hears of his brother's death, and he goes to England, taking Nor. Unhappy she realizes Cedric’s heart belongs to Margaret and Nor returns to her mountains and to Jacques.
Marie Tyree, a hotel stenographer, falls in love with Archie Small but is disillusioned when he is lured away by a wealthy widow and resolves to trap for herself a wealthy spouse. At a business convention, she makes the acquaintance of Bert Woodmansee, reputedly worth millions, and captures him after a brief courtship.
Ann Barton, the daughter of a once-wealthy family, is forced to clerk at the cigar counter of a village hotel, where she meets James McDonald, a breezy, handsome salesman. Ann is adopted by an aristocratic aunt, who disapproves of James's manners and breaks up Ann's relationship with him. Ann soon revenges herself on her aunt by placing both her aunt and herself in compromising positions.
Wealthy Anne Wilmot vacationing along with her aunt Katherine at her fiancé Leon Morse's (Hull) Arizona mountain lodge discovers his plot to destroy a nearby hydroelectric engineering project in order to obtain the land for his railway. She thwarts the sabotage but find herself in a life and death struggle.
A girl's father cannot afford a train ticket, so he ships his daughter by Wells Fargo & Co. Express. He loses his money to a villain and cannot claim his "shipment." The villain attempts to claim her, but the Wells Fargo agent foils the plot and claims her himself.
A peasant girl goes to great lengths to protect her child in 19th century Vienna. The film is considered lost, and only four minutes of footage are known to remain.
After Barbara Martin, a naïve young convent girl, elopes with her guardian's degenerate brother, Barton Sedgewick, she discovers that Barton already has a wife and child. Barton then deserts both wives, leaving Barbara to turn to her guardian George Sedgewick for advice. George advises an immediate divorce, but Barbara takes no action until she meets John Brent and falls in love. Upon requesting that George arrange her divorce from Barton, Barbara discovers that Brent is her guardian's lawyer. Panicked for fear of Brent discovering her marriage, Barbara's quandary is resolved when she discovers Barton in his partner Rhodes' apartment. Through Barton's carelessness, Barbara is able to obtain documents which prove that his first marriage was valid, thereby nullifying their marriage and freeing her to marry Brent.
Follows the life of an illegitimate son of a kabuki actor.
A lost film. Teddy Drake is a pleasure-seeking aristocrat who ends up expelled from his exclusive Fifth Avenue club for playing practical jokes and other rambunctious antics. He decides to reform his selfish ways and boards a train heading heading for the Southwest.
Twin sisters Rosetta and Lola Gelardi live happily with their aging father, Professor Gelardi, until their Sicilian village is destroyed by an earthquake. Unable to find Lola, the professor and Rosetta move to New York, where she obtains employment as a stenographer to author Aubrey Hapgood. Rosetta captivates Aubrey and his friends, but Mildred Sanders, who had hoped to win Aubrey for herself, tries to ruin Rosetta's reputation. On a drive with Aubrey, Rosetta relates her life story, whereupon Aubrey, claiming he loves her, takes her to an inn. Although he promises to marry her, she later reads of his engagement to Mildred. Rosetta shoots herself, after which Lola appears to avenge her death by causing the ruin of Aubrey's sister. Aubrey fires on Lola, but Rosetta awakens in his car and realizes that it was all a dream. While the chauffeur repairs the car, she and Aubrey walk into town to find a preacher.
Lacking patients, Dr. Sumner sets himself up as a psychologist and opens a sanitarium, becoming quite successful. Virginia Zelva, a clairvoyant who wants to get into what she regards as a racket, signs on as his nurse. Sumner falls in love with Virginia and, after numerous complications, wins her for his bride.
When she is orphaned Lily Upjohn, from the London slums, becomes a chorus girl at the Pandora Theatre. During a performance a scene painter drops some paint near Lily and her screams prompt the show's composer to create a hit song "Mind the Paint Girl," which Lily makes an overnight sensation. She is courted by young officer Nicholas Jeyes and by Lord Francombe. Driving both men to near ruin she promises marriage to both but in the end choses neither.
Danny O'Rourke is the son of a police officer who was killed in the line of duty. Eager to join the police force, Danny fails his exams. The failure causes him to neglect his sweetheart Maggie, whose father is a police lieutenant. His attentions turn instead towards society girl Miriam Welton. When Danny’s sister, Shannon, is arrested for shoplifting, Danny turns to boxing to save her. He works his way towards the championship but discovers the final bought has been rigged. Danny fights anyhow and he is beaten, but it is discovered that a mistake had been made on his exams and he actually was eligible to join the police force after all. Considered a lost film.
Newland Archer is engaged to May Mingott of a prominent New York family. Shortly after the engagement is announced, Newland finds himself attracted to May's older married cousin Countess Ellen Olenska.
Annette is in love with Sheriff André Porel, but her father Gaston, promises her to Paul Gerard, after Gerard witnesses Gaston kill Indian Charlie. Despondent, Annette considers suicide, but Gerard drinks the poison by mistake. Annette is convicted of murder and is being led to her execution by André when an avalanche buries the gallows and Gaston. The villagers take this as a sign of Annette's innocence; she is released and marries André.