Assuming the worst Geoffrey Challoner impulsively storms out of the house when he sees his new wife Robin reading old love letters. In his absence, Norman Craig, planning with his wife to lease an upstairs apartment owned by Judge Corcoran, wanders into the Challoners' apartment. Robin, mistaking him for a burglar, shoots him and then runs for a doctor. Returning, Geoffrey again rashly makes assumptions and immediately files for divorce. Mrs. Craig and Norman, who had merely fainted, are invited to Judge Corcoran's weekend home along with the Challoners, whom the judge hopes to reunite. Following a bewildering series of misadventures, including an attempted robbery by the maid and the chauffeur, Geoffrey learns that the love letters were his own, and the young couple are reconciled.
Rosemary van Voort lives in the countryside with her elderly Dutch parents. The wooden dolls she carves so beautifully catch the eye of a group of artists who are having a picnic in the area. Among them is aspiring opera singer Ricardo Fitzmaurice. Rosemary is convinced to move to New York City where she becomes wildly successful, but when the temperamental Madame Fedoreska, who is in love with Ricardo, becomes insanely jealous of his growing affection for Rosemary she threatens to kill her. When Madame turns up shot to death, the police look at Rosemary as a suspect--and even worse, she has no alibi.
A mountain girl with an army-hating father, meets a handsome army captain, who teaches her how to love her country.
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.
Beth Coventry, society favorite and ward of a wealthy aunt, is beloved by three men: rich broker Philip Murdock; Marquis de Tourville, a polished, brilliant social lion; and poor but promising young banker John Langton.
Doris Poole, whose parents were theatrical people, was orphaned as a child, and four members of the troupe adopted and raised her. When grown, she has become the leading lady in a San Francisco stock-company. She meets and falls in love with Ted, the millionaire son of a rich widow, but she thinks he is only a tax-cab driver. His mother objects to the romance and looks into Doris' past. She learns that her father had murdered, in a fit of jealousy, her mother, and tells Doris what she has found out. The four actors who had raised her had never told her how she happened to become an orphan. They persuade Ted's mother to send him on a voyage to the Orient in order to get him away from Doris. But they neglected to tell the mother they had also booked passage for Doris on the same ship.
Shirley Christy, Champion Mile Runner of the World, has become a tramp and finds himself in the mountains of Arizona. In flashback we see that he was framed for cheating which led to his fall. He drifts into a mining camp where by chance he discovers the cheat who ruined him, up to his old tricks. He foils the new plot, wins the girl of his dreams and faces the world with new determination.
Mr. Carlson of Arizona comes to New York where he is summarily swindled out of his funds and deserted by all his new “friends.” An anonymous friend out West learning of his plight offers him a position as engineer in a construction camp. After a few more travails he discovers his patron is Agnes, the girl he has come to love, and they are united in wedlock.
When small town girl, Mary Carroll is jilted at the altar by slick city cad David Garrick she has a mental breakdown. The wedding had been set for 3:00 in the afternoon and each day at the appointed time Mary dresses in her wedding gown and waits forlornly. Witnessing this, Mary’s sister Grace swears vengeance. As time passes Grace moves to the city and finds success as a singer under the name Madame Mimi. One day Garrick attends one of her performances attempting to insinuate himself into her favor and Grace sees her chance for revenge.
An heiress is saved from the predations of a gang of gentleman crooks by a female detective and her father.
Falsely accused of the theft of a million dollars in securities from the safe of his wealthy employer, an honest young private secretary finds himself powerless to prove his innocence because of the perjury of an unprincipled butler who has been bribed to testify against him. For 23 chapters/adventures he and his boss's daughter set out to clear his name and catch the real culprit.
Khokhlova, a young female Moscow reporter, falls in love with factory manager Petrovsky. To her he's the epitome of manliness–virile, decisive, strong-minded. Conversely, she rejects the sensitive, diffident editor Vasilchikov, who's in love with her, as unmanly. Her infatuation affects her work, and she is fired.
Sure-Fire Flint, an energetic chap just returned from wartime military service, meets June De Lanni, the girl of his dreams, while working as a cabdriver and busboy. Her father gives Flint a job in his factory, but Dipley Poole, who hoped to marry June, becomes jealous of Flint's success and attempts to rob the company safe. June is trapped in the safe, but after a series of adventures, Flint arrives in time to rescue her.
Employed as secretary to Howard Abele, Marjorie Abbott attracts the attention of Sydney, her employer's son, who falls desperately in love with her. Mr. Abele is strenuously opposed to their marriage and he quarrels with his son. Marjorie has a half-brother, Dave, who is of an inventive turn of mind.
Although Billie Farrington's aunt, Mrs. Farrington, wishes her to marry Farrington ranch foreman Bob Hanford, Billie refuses to be interested in anyone but Count Venino, a fake nobleman. Mrs. Farrington becomes seriously ill, and Billie weds Bob to please her aunt but treats him with chilly reserve. When Mrs. Farrington learns of Venino's masquerade and his half-caste birth, she gives a reception to which she invites Venino's Burmese mother. Billie runs away, is kidnapped by Venino, and then is rescued by Bob, whose rugged honesty Billie finally appreciates.
The 15-chapter plot follows, in a fanciful manner, the General Fremont expedition into Spanish California to acquire California for the United States, and the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill. Chapter titles: 1. Soldiers of Fortune 2. Red Men and White 3. A Night of Terror 4. The Empire Builders 5. A Web of Lies 6. Demetroff's Vow 7. Facing Death 8. Under the Bear Flag 9. A Ride of Peril 10. Yellow Metal and Blue Blood 11. Gold Madness 12. Crimson Nights 13. Vigilante's Justice 14. For Life and Love 15. Trail's End
Molly O, a young girl abandoned by her wealthy painter father, David King, after her mother's death; she endures an orphanage and a cruel boardinghouse before her father, remorseful and famous, unknowingly adopts the impostor niece of the orphanage matron instead, leading to Molly's return as a maid in his home, ultimately revealing her true identity and reuniting them. Version destroyed by fire.
Lieutenant Curren of the regular army, is assaulted by Private Roy, of his company, and the latter is sent to the military prison. Known as Convict 125, Roy serves a year of his time, then his desire for revenge turns to repentance and he apologizes to Curren. A pardon is secured and Roy reinstated in the service. War breaks out, and Roy saves the Lieutenant's life on the field of battle but loses his own in doing so. From a locket found on Roy, Curren's wife identifies him as her long-lost brother
"Now match him if you can, this Reg'lar Army Man. Rattlin', Rattlin', Colt or Gatlin'. Reg'lar Army Man." The daughter of his old pal and bunkie becomes his ward. He finds they have met before, are already in love, so he proposes and she becomes his wife.
Wolf Erickson, captain of the "hell ship" Ellen Miller, returns to port after a very successful voyage. Because of his terrible temper, he is greatly feared by his entire crew. Even his son, John, a boy of about ten years old, is a victim of his father's wrath. The son, however, has not inherited his father's hasty temper.