When her father goes broke in the stock market, Jane Lee is forced to leave her prestigious boarding school. Glad-handing John Brock, an old friend of Jane's father, arranges for the girl to be hired as his stenographer. But Brock's lecherous ulterior motives become obvious when he locks Jane in the office and tries to rape her. When she manages to escape his advances, Brock vengefully frames the girl on a robbery charge.
An important customer at Armande's, where Iva Seldon works as a model, is Billy Ravensworth, who purchases expensive gowns for a heartless vampire named Rita Challoner. When Billy pays for a number of gowns with a bad check, Iva is sent to Rita's home to collect the finery, and there she meets Bertrand Seldon, whom she recognizes as her own father, a society man who had deserted his wife years earlier and never acknowledged Iva. Rita learns that Billy is poor and breaks off their affair, after which Iva persuades him to pose as her fiancé so that she might enter society. Billy is content to maintain the masquerade in exchange for Iva's money, but soon finds himself jealous over her apparent romance with Bertrand. Iva agrees to accompany Bertrand on a drive, but the car plunges down a cliff, whereupon she reveals her identity. Before his death, Bertrand at last recognizes his daughter, and with his fortune, she and Billy begin a new life.
Gene Romaine lives in the solitude of Tall Pine Mountain with her father, fire warden for the Stanton Lumber Company. They live alone, but her mother's grave is in the little clearing and the father has promised never to leave it. To them comes McDaniels, the logging boss, who is attracted by Jean and offers her father to discard his Indian wife for the young girl. Romaine indignantly refuses and is threatened with dismissal. Gene, knowing he cannot bear to leave his wife's grave, assents to the marriage in spite of her father's protests. Stanton, chief owner of the lumber company, maroons his worthless son in the woods, in the hope of reforming him. Gene takes care of him when he sprains his ankle, and he protects her from McDaniels and is blamed for the murder of the boss when his vengeful Indian wife stabs him in the back.
Neglected by her grief-stricken father, a doctor, after the tragic death of his wife, little Eileen Homer changes the wording of her father's ad for a governess to read: "Wanted, a mother." After much melodrama that’s just what she gets.
This story deals with a man, who causes his wife great jealousy on account of his relation to other women, yet who regards himself as a man of destiny in settling others unhappy marital relations. He is named co-respondent in a suit - leaves town - takes a house in a smaller village - picks up a little girl on the street in his car and drives into the country.
Belle Bennett plays as the widowed mother of seven children living in Sioux City, Iowa. She moves with them to Cambridge, Massachusetts in order to educate her children with culture and give them every advantage. Bennett, who is unversed in financial matters, soon faces poverty for herself and her children. She takes out a loan from an unscrupulous lender (played by Richard Tucker), who is so impressed by the charm and valiant spirit of Bennett than he neglects to ask her for collateral. Bennett, however, is only able to partially pay her creditors. Marion Nixon, Bennett's eldest daughter, is shocked by her mother's actions and attempts to sacrifice herself to Tucker in order to clear her mother's obligations, even though she is engaged to marry a well to do Harvard undergraduate, played by Rex Bell. This film is believed lost.
Nick Carraway, a young Midwesterner now living on Long Island, finds himself fascinated by the mysterious past and lavish lifestyle of his neighbor, the nouveau riche Jay Gatsby. He is drawn into Gatsby's circle, becoming a witness to obsession and tragedy.
A gang of crooks are employed to get possession of valuable papers of international importance, held by the French Ambassador, Vicomte de Jarlais. They are also instructed to get the Ambassador out of the way and make it appear that he has committed suicide. His mysterious disappearance arouses the United States Secret Service officers
Mary Boyne, who made shirts at four dollars a week, had no place for love in her life - only despair and hate for the son of the man who had plunged her family into deepest distress. Peter Kenwitz loved Mary, but because he was a mathematician and a pessimist by trade, his love was as hopeless as her chance for happiness.
Albert Jordan, publishing house manager, lavishes his salary on his adored wife, Rita, and little daughter Edna. She is a churchgoing woman, while his home and his family is his religion. While returning home one day, Jordan sees his little daughter in the path of an auto. He runs to snatch her from instant death. He saves her but is seriously injured himself.
When Edith Graham returns from school to live with her father, Lieutenant Graham, at a Northwest Mounted Police post in Hudson's Bay, she finds herself courted by two suitors, Corporal John Emerson and Reginald Annesley, the latter of whom is a wealthy purchasing agent for the post. Annesley however is also involved with the half-breed Marie. When Marie tells him she is carrying his child Annesley kills her and attempts to frame Emerson. However, Edith is suspicious and sets out to find the truth.
A widowed woman marries her husband's brother, who soon proves to be a tyrant stepfather to his adopted son.
Billy Davis discovers that his father's bakery business is in serious financial trouble and leaves college in order to help his family.
Morganson's Finish was inspired by the Jack London story of the same name. The hero, Dick Gilbert is in love with wealthy Barbara Wesley but he is disgraced in her eyes through the underhanded machinations of his rival Dan Morganson.
Bob Marston, a San Francisco socialite turned amateur detective is assigned to apprehend a gang of bootleggers.
In Africa a typist is framed for killing a diamond smuggler who betrayed her father.
Leaving England, in search of an American wife, young Cyril, son of the Earl of Creston, on reaching America meets Lilly Penn, and immediately lays siege to her heart and her fortune when he learns that she is an heiress.
Fresh from her college matriculation. Ruth Grantland returns to her country home. She is courted by two of the village beaux, who propose marriage. She likes the boys, but not sufficiently to marry them. Her preference is for Jack Hall, a young man of extreme culture and refinement. She tells the two boys that she will consent to marry them if they can beat her in a footrace, taking each one on separately. They agree, and she, being fleet of foot, runs away from them, crossing the line far in the lead. Jack, riding horseback, happens along and takes in the fun. Later, he proposes to Ruth.
Helen Winthrop has ambition for the stage and when, during his summer sojourn at her home town, she is introduced to De la Marre, a popular star and dramatic favorite, she is elated and asks him to give her a part in one of his plays. He consents and from that moment she becomes restless, and longs to shake the dust of her village home from her feet. Her old sweetheart, John Tobin, is no longer in her class and receives a very cold goodbye when she leaves to shine in the limelight.
The daughter of a count and the son of a shoemaker, both Hungarian, fall in love in America. As they're about to marry, the young woman is called back to Europe. When her betrothed goes after her, difficulties ensue.