The Apache Indians are on the rampage and the Americans go out against them. They capture all the Indian squaws. Then the braves attack the Americans, to rescue the women, and especially Minato. They dig holes in the ground at night and hide in them, hoping to get the Americans by this ambuscade. By chance the soldiers see that the ground has been tampered with. But the Indians jump out and attack them. There is great loss of life, but they are finally repulsed.
Engrossed in his business affairs, John Kirby fails to assess the seriousness of his wife Helen's objections to the constant parade of business chums and their mistresses who come to dinner. When Kirby gives Helen the ultimatum of accepting the status quo or filing for divorce, she divorces him and obtains a position as a stenographer in the office of one of her husband's friends, but leaves after he makes advances toward her. Finding employment as a model in a dress shop, Helen is invited by one of the girls to attend a masquerade ball with two gentlemen friends. Helen agrees and discovers that her escort is her ex-husband. Although he cannot identify Helen because they are masked, Kirby suspects that his date is his ex-wife and arranges for another meeting in which he asks Helen to remarry him, and she agrees to make him her second husband.
When her father, an indigent artist, dies, Sylvia Lacey goes to live with her Aunt Martha and her uncle, Judge Trent, in New England, where she is unwanted and humiliated. Though she and John Dunham, her uncle's young law partner, fall in love, she believes he intends to marry the daughter of a wealthy neighbor.
The impoverished Harlow family of New England is forced to take in summer boarders. Teenaged niece Tressie welcomes the change and promptly falls in love with a wealthy young guest named Norman Minot. Although Norman returns Tressie’s affection, he is driven away by a fortune-hunting mother who wants him to marry her daughter. Robert Kitteridge, a scheming artist friend of Norman's, takes Tressie on a sailboat outing, during which they narrowly escape death when their boat is rammed by a steamship. After being put ashore the next morning in Boston, MA, Robert takes Tressie to his studio and attempts to seduce her.
Cordelia Marlowe comes from a society family that has lost its fortune. She falls into the clutches of D.K. Franklin, a crooked lawyer who specializes in blackmail, and finds herself involved in Franklin's scheme to extort money from a family friend. She sets out to protect her friend's money and expose Franklin for the thief he is.
In China, a boy reads a legend about a mysterious woman's power over a wealthy Mandarin prince. In New York, Betty Cardon, a social butterfly, disregards her husband Blair's order to stop gambling their money at bridge, and finds herself in debt to Geoffrey North, who, encouraged by her flirting, now wants sexual payment. Cherry Blossom, a Chinese girl who refuses to be sold by her father to the brutal Li Hsun, a wealthy Mandarin, hides in Betty's home after Betty's friend, Susan Pettigrew, a mission worker, introduces them.
In the Blue Ridge Mountains Postmaster's daughter Sally Haston loves Steve Carey, but wants him to enlist and fight the Germans during the Great War. Steve is unhappy at the training camp Steve argues with his roughneck tentmate Billy Murphy. When Steve deserts to visit Sally she takes him back to the camp, where Captain Roderick Brooke sympathetically explains the purpose of the war. Later, moonshiner James Grogan holes up with a gun to escape the draft and holds Sally prisoner. Her father organizes a posse, but Steve, home on leave, rescues her and announces that he is leaving for Europe to fight for democracy.
Vivacious little Gilberte, known as Frou Frou, is the daughter of M. Brigard, a retired merchant, who has as his companion in a life of gaiety, Comte Paul de Valreas, a much younger man. Both the Count and Henry de Sartorys are in love with Frou Frou, and when De Sartorys asks for the hand of Frou Frou, M. Brigard refers him to Louise, the elder daughter, who is in charge of the household. To Louise, who loves de Sartorys, comes the first anguish of her life, when he confides his love for Frou Frou. However, she confers with her little sister who agrees to marry De Sartorys. Paul also asks for Frou Frou's hand, but Brigard refuses, stating he is too jolly a companion to be trusted as a son-in-law.
Dorothy Desmond, a naive young woman from Kentucky who becomes virtually penniless after her father (an editor) is shot by a political rival and her mother dies of shock. Believing she has a talent for writing, Dorothy travels to New York to find work at a newspaper. She secures a position and is assigned to the Chinatown section of the city to cover a story, which presumably involves the titular jade necklace and the "perils" hinted at by the serial's title.
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.
On a South Sea island, wealthy hunter Scott Quaigg meets Tiare, the daughter of a drunken Scotsman and a native woman, who happily give permission to marry her. While sailing to his home in New York, Quaigg treats Tiare roughly and throws Captain Croft overboard when he comes to her defense. Quaigg attempts to tame Tiare by exploiting her superstitions and threatening her with the same whip he uses on his pet leopard. Later, Tiare awaits her husband's return from a hunting trip with a gun and fires as a man enters, only to discover that it is Captain Croft, who was saved from drowning. Quaigg finds them together and releases the leopard. However, the beast kills its master before being shot by Croft. Afterward, Tiare and Croft return to the South Seas together.
Jane Abom, a woman unaware of her husband’s criminal life, begins working as a newspaper writer and later marries her editor after her husband is reported dead. A former associate of her first husband later attempts to blackmail Jane by revealing he is still alive. When Jane and her first husband finally confront one another, he is killed in the ensuing struggle. Ultimately, a friend clears Jane of any wrongdoing, allowing her to find happiness with the editor.
Shirley Kaye is the vivacious daughter of Egerton Kaye, president of the great Union Central Railroad. The latter holds his position through his descent from "Pirate" Kaye, who founded the line, rather than through any executive ability of his own. Shirley is queen of the most exclusive Long Island set, and as clever as she is lovely to look at. From the West comes T.J. Magen, a rough but lion-hearted financier, who buys the house next door to the Kayes. Magen cares little for society, and the elaborate household which their wealth forces them to support is a constant worry to his simple and unassuming wife. But the daughter, "Daisy," yearns, with all her heart to break into the society and swim where Shirley Kaye reigns supreme.
Job Abramonoff, the leader of a Jewish community in Russia, is arrested for the ritual murder of Sonja Mulnikow, the little sister of Sascha, a gentile and the childhood friend of Job's daughter Manya. Sascha, who is sympathetic to the plight of the Jews, is led to point the accusing finger at Job against his better judgment. He reads a book, "The Philosophy of Race Prejudice," which tells how Maneth, the Egyptian high priest, tried to dupe Alexander the Great into believing that his young friend Cassander was the victim of such a sacrifice by the Jews. Convinced of his error, Sascha tries to save the Abramonoff family and stop the pogrom that began when Job was arrested. Sonja is revealed to be alive and well, but it is too late: the mob has broken into the prison and stoned Job to death. Horror-stricken, Sascha confesses to Manya that he was prejudiced and asks forgiveness.
Wallace Phillips is tricked out of his share of his father's fortune by his brother Gordon. Wallace changes places with his brother and manages to fool even Gordon's wife. A lost film.
Dr. Paul Carrington is a rising young surgeon engaged to selfish socialite Marion Ainsworth who resents the time he devotes to his profession. During an outing, Marion intercepts a crucial emergency hospital message meant for Paul, causing him to miss a vital operation and ruining his professional reputation. Discovering her deceit, Paul shoulders the blame to shield her and flees to a remote tropical island to live in solitude. A year later, Marion sets out to find him but is shipwrecked. She washes ashore on Paul's island, where he divides the land between them, promises to protect her, but strictly forbids her from disturbing him and his work.
A banker, after a prophetic meeting with a Gypsy fortune teller, becomes delusional as he searches for a trunk which the seer has told him holds the key to either his happiness or his death. This film is considered lost.
Young minister Brand Cameron meets stage star Adrienne Durant at her father's humble country home. Believing her an innocent country girl, Cameron falls in love with her. She confesses her racier life and returns to New York. Cameron follows, unable to give Adrienne up, his parishioners denounce him and force him to resign. He departs, accepting a post in a tough lumber camp while Adrienne accepts the charge of a school for poor children. Later Faro Kate falsely accuses Cameron of fathering her child enraging the lumbermen who set fire to his church. Discovering Kate's baby is trapped inside Cameron risks his like to save the child causing Kate to retract her lie and Adrienne comes to join him in his new ministry.
Because of the loss of three generations of women in her family during childbirth Ellen Locke is frightened to have kids. Frustrated by her decision, her husband John finds himself drawn to his old love, Constance, now a widow with a child who bears her name. After her sister Marion dies in childbirth, Ellen becomes more obsessed, however one day when Ellen is driving little Constance home they have a car accident. An incident in the hospital changes her perspective leading to a reconciliation with John.
Wealthy Joshua Anson expects his son Chadwick to marry a woman of their class, but much to his chagrin Chadwick falls in love with factory girl Mary McClintock. Anson schemes to break up the romance by framing Mary in a compromising situation, but she outsmarts him and marries Chadwick. Not to be defeated, Anson offers his daughter-in-law $100,000 to divorce his son, but Mary outfoxes him once again by accepting the money, getting a divorce, and then remarrying Chadwick. Mary's last trick wins her father-in-law's respect, and he finally offers the couple his blessings.