A woman is murdered during an overnight train ride and a veteran detective clashes with young P.I. on how they are going flush out the killer. They find themselves racing against the clock when a second body is discovered.
Adams is hoping for a son the same night that "Spider" Barlow plans to make a haul at the Adams house. While Adams smokes in the library, outside "Spider" waits for him to retire. The burglar enters the house. The maid is awakened and corners him in a closet. Adams comes, and explains the need for quiet, leaving the maid on guard with a gun. When Adams goes to send a hurry call for the doctor, "Spider" relieves the maid of the gun, and taking advantage of the opportunity, rifles the house. Acting as self-appointed butler, "Spider" admits the doctor, and removing the gag long enough to give the maid three kisses, departs in the doctor's limousine with the doctor's coat and bag.
Wealthy bachelor Forest Keene lives in a mansion with his nephew Rex Booth and housekeeper Janet. Rex and Janet are in love with each other, but Keene objects to the match threatening disinheritance in the event of a marriage. Gifted with an ancient knife, Keene nods off holding it, falling into a nightmare where he sees the ruination of them all because of his obstinacy. Awakening he realizes the folly of his objections and gives his consent to Rex and Janet’s union.
Within earshot of her fiancé Leo Holmes and his friend Bruce Morgan Louise Wilke says she could never marry a man who was a drunkard. Morgan, secretly in love with Louise, gets Leo intoxicated and sends him to her home. Louise breaks off the engagement and Bruce pursues her. Undecided, she slips into a dream where she is mired in a life of misery with Morgan, who has become a worse drunkard than Holmes as well as selfish and brutal. In trying to defend herself from Bruce she kills him with a pair of shears. Holmes, a poor derelict, hears her scream, rushes to her rescue. Louise awakens and sends for Leo.
Following a cattle roundup, rancher Burton provides a holiday for his cowboys. During the celebrations, they entertain Margaret with daring feats of horsemanship for "local color" for her story. A love triangle unfolds during the festivities. May, the rancher's daughter, grows jealous of the attention Charles gives Margaret. In a moment of anger, May agrees to elope with Jack. The subsequent publication of Margaret's book, helps the couple on the ranch understand their own love story.
Ida Price has been cheated out of her share in her father's estate by her cousin Charles. She puts the appeal of the case in the hands of Judge Clark and his assistant Robert Graham. Charles tries to compromise with Ida, but she stands firm. He resorts to attempting to get the judge tipsy and delay the verdict. He fails, the former decision is reversed with Ida receiving her fair share and incidentally a husband in Robert Graham.
Tom Allen, a hardworking young miner. He cautions his wife, Beatrice, about the presence of a "worthless chap" named Joe Hills, who frequently loiters around their cabin. Hills subsequently steals Allen's gold, and Beatrice discovers him in the act.
A lieutenant saves an heiress from a wicked squire and is framed for murder.
Mark Pelton's young wife, Laura, is a drug addicted kleptomaniac. In her delirium she writes her father, John Calvert, accusing her husband of cruelly wrecking her life, then commits suicide. Calvert, knowing the truth, puts the letter aside. Ten years pass and Calvert hopes his niece Pauline will pair with Mark, but she has fallen under the charms of fortune hunter Elmer Danby and plans to elope with him. When Calvert dies, he leaves his estate jointly to Pauline and Mark, provided they marry. If one refuses, he or she forfeits all to the other. Pauline, having found the letter at first announces her engagement to Danby, forfeiting her rights but when he is exposed as a grabber and she learns the truth about Mark they wed.
Chester Rowe commits a robbery and murder, then flees to the mountains where he meets and falls in love with Lottie Toby. Lottie's father receives news of $1,000 awaiting him at the post office. Rowe, aware of this, attempts to rob Mr. Toby. Disabled local youth Oliver comes upon the theft in process, he and Toby simultaneously shoot Rowe, resulting in his death. Oliver, believing he killed Rowe, hides the body. Toby's helper, Jack, finds Toby injured by a bullet wound. The sheriff wrongly accuses Jack of assaulting Toby. Oliver confesses to killing Rowe, and Jack is proven innocent.
Young Mary Lehner is deceived and abandoned by Ralph Moore, a manipulative social climber. Mary, daughter of a blacksmith, falls for Moore while he's taking advantage of her father's hospitality. After Moore leaves her pregnant and heartbroken, she flees to the city, faces hardship, and eventually gives birth to their child. Meanwhile, Moore, now engaged to a wealthy woman, experiences a night of drunken debauchery and insults, ultimately leading him to a deserted house where he encounters Mary again. Seeing her and learning of her suffering, Moore finally recognizes his obligation to her and their child. They reconcile and Mary returns to a respectable social standing.
Steven Brooks, a young man who finds himself entangled in a complicated situation involving his wife, Mrs. Steven Brooks, and another woman named Nell. The relationships and events that unfold ultimately test Steven's resolve and character, leading to a dramatic conclusion.
Roy Norman and Marie Thompson are betrothed. However, a friend of Roy's, Allan Boyd, arrives and he and Marie are mutually attracted to each other. This attraction leads Marie to return the engagement ring to Roy. One evening, Marie pretends to have a headache to stay home from the opera with her parents, dismissing her maid, expecting a visit from Allan. Instead, Roy arrives, sees Marie with Boyd, and discovers their relationship. Later, Allan's brother, Dr. Boyd, informs Roy that Marie has been in an eastern hospital and has given birth to a baby. He shares a statement from Marie naming the father. A year later, Allan marries, having seemingly forgotten Marie.
The intrepid Detective Blinn investigates a series of baffling jewel thefts targeting wealthy women.
After accidentally injuring a friend in a wrestling match and swearing off violence of any kind, Dr. Hart becomes the physician at Big Creek Mines. While most of the miners respect him one bully taunts both he and the young schoolteacher he has taken a fancy to. Mindful of his eschewing violence he ignores him but when diphtheria breaks out in camp, the physician proves himself a hero and his greater strength stands by him in many ways. The first to fall ill is the bully's little child and the man becomes frantic at the thought of losing her. Thinking the doctor will allow his daughter to die to get even with him he tries to prevent the use of a serum needle, but the doctor uses his great strength to quickly overpower and bind the father saving the child with the shot.
A group of boys are playing baseball on a playground, and one of them hits the ball over the fence, breaking the window of a house belonging to a professor. He calls in a repairman, who arrives to fix the window and is admitted by the professor's pretty maid. Attracted to her and wanting to see her again, after he fixes the window he sneaks back to the house that night and breaks it again, hoping she'll call to have him come out and fix it. She does, but it doesn't turn out exactly the way he had hoped.
Reporter Jane Randall, who works for the Herald and Phil Norton of the Times, are competing to get the story on the Thomas Syndicate regarding when funds will be released to prevent a panic. Both head to the estate of Marsden Thomas who oversees the Syndicate. Through coercion Norton worms the info from Marsden’s son but attempts to hold up the report to do some insider trading. However, Jane with the help of her fiancé Jimmy telegraphs the Herald, gets the scoop and thwarts Nelson.
Ralph Cullom is in love with Lucy Bronson and she loves him, but her mother wants him to marry a title. Earl Twombley arrives in America on a business mission. He brings letters of introduction to Mrs. Belknap, Lucy's aunt. Lucy's mother sees an opportunity to arrange a union between Lucy and the Earl.
Eccentric scientist, Professor Jeremy, creates a truth serum. After experimenting on his cook, revealing her secret whiskey and cigar smuggling, the serum accidentally splashes on Thorpe Willis, a reporter, who confesses his deepest feelings. The professor, annoyed by the widespread attention and requests for the serum, destroys the formula and secures it in a safe. However, a crook, "Smoothy" Smithers, steals the liquid, drops it, and publicly confesses to a burglary. Ultimately, the reporter, Thorpe, crafts a hoax about the serum, and the professor accepts him as his son-in-law.
Richard Stanton, a millionaire's son whose father intends for him to become a clergyman. However, Richard has fallen in with a bad crowd at college, and the film follows the unfolding events that stem from this conflict and potentially his eventual pursuit of atonement.