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
Society girl Sybil Lawton is left penniless by her father's death, and though her mother wishes her to marry into wealth, her sole ambition is to achieve fame in the theater. Her youthful charm and talent interest producer Stewart Thrall, who finds her a position with an Omaha stock company. Under Sybil's encouragement, fellow actor Jim Roberts, disillusioned by an unhappy marriage, improves and becomes her self-appointed guardian. Sybil returns to New York and begins rehearsals for "Romeo and Juliet" with Thrall as her costar and Roberts as stage manager. Meanwhile, Thrall's unhappy wife obtains a divorce, and Roberts, recognizing her as the woman who ruined his life, blames Thrall and shoots him at a performance as he bends over "Juliet" on her bier. Thrall recovers, however, declares his love for Sybil, and looks forward to happiness with her.
Arsdale, a candidate for mayor misconstrues the situation when he sees his wife Alice enter the apartment house of gambler Norton. Unknown to him Alice’s sister Mabel had married the dissolute Norton and made her life misery. Norton, recruited by Arsdale’s rival to incriminate his opponent surreptitiously tries to compromise Alice and Arsdale, consumed with jealousy shoots him, ruining all their lives.
In 1876, Lt. Tony Britton of the 7th Cavalry is in love with pretty young Barbara Manning, but the wife of his superior, Capt. Granson, is in love with him and begs him to run away with her. Britton refuses, but is soon sent to arrest Sioux chief Rain-in-the-Face, who has murdered two soldiers from the 7th. He captures his quarry and carts him off to jail, infuriating the local Indians. When Capt. Granson learns of his wife's infatuation with Britton, he makes trouble for Britton, who is soon forced to resign his commission. He signs up as an army scout, and learns that the Indians are planning to attack and massacre the 7th under the command of Col. George Armstrong Custer. Can he get to Custer in time to warn him of the impending attack, and will he--a disgraced army officer--be believed?
Robert Lovell falls in love with his father’s secretary Dorothy Arden and marries her in secret despite his father and his business partner Daniel Casselis’s attempts to arrange a match for him with Daniel’s daughter, also named Dorothy. When circumstances lead to the three young people ending up stranded on a lonely island in the Pacific, complications ensue, especially when Bob suffers a blow which temporarily wipes out his memory and he cannot remember which Dorothy is his wife! All ends happily, however.
Miss Olivia Martindale, at a dinner, announces: "There is no longer any romance in American life," and immediately arouses a storm of protest.
"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.
Allen Bancroft of Lancashire is framed by criminals leading to his imprisonment and subsequent struggle to clear his name and find work, all while facing coercion from the same criminals.
The Kostomarov family falls apart when a female relative joins the household.
A benefactor ejects a tramp who covets his wife and later adopts the child of the girl the tramp saved from suicide.
Lost film. A man's devotion for a woman brings about his ruin.
When the infant Betty Emerson’s father is killed in an accident it drives her mother mad leading to her commitment to an asylum. Betty is sent to an orphanage where after a year’s time wealthy widow, Mrs. Blake, chooses to adopt her. A decade later when a fully recovered Mrs. Emerson is discharged, she begins a search for Betty, leading her to Mrs. Blake’s door. While the two women argue over her Betty enters. Both women plead with her, one to return and the other to stay. Betty offers the solution by staying with both.
Helen Embert, the lodge keeper’s daughter on the estate of wealthy widow Mrs. Melvina Jenkins is in love Bert Harrison. When by happenstance Bert saves Mrs. Jenkins and her daughter Mary from an accident he is instantly smitten with Mary. Feeling rejected, Helen pines away, expiring soon after. Helen’s mother, consumed with revenge, sets her sights on extracting it upon Mary but is prevented from harming her in the nick of time.
Upon his death Jerry Livingstone, a wealthy convict, leaves his son Henry the sole heir of a considerable fortune with the provision of a larger additional sum if he marries Jerry's ward, Winifred Gale. Upon hearing this, Winifred writes to the young Livingstone that she will not participate in a marriage of convenience.
Richard loves Helen, but her snobby mother looks down on him because his father made his money as a soap manufacturer. She arranges a trip abroad for Helen, but Helen arranges to meet Richard and have him drive her to the station. Richard’s aunt gives him his mother's wedding ring as a talisman and en route to the train a traffic backup occurs resulting in Helen missing the train and Richard winning her hand. Auntie claims that the ring is responsible; father only smiles knowing he paid one of his men to bribe streetcar motormen, truckmen, and taxicab drivers to bring about the traffic tie-up.
Rose Hale, a country girl, rescues Ralph Van Court after he becomes lost while hunting in the Adirondacks. Ralph had recently been spurned by his former love, Viola Shepard, who chose to marry his wealthy uncle for money. Rose and Ralph marry, but she soon finds herself neglected by her city-dwelling husband once the honeymoon phase ends.
Rene, condemned to execution for murder in the first degree tells his mother the story of the crime. His sister had been lured from home and abandoned by the villain. Desolate at first after some time she married a man who became governor but when the villain shows up again and threatens her happiness Rene kills him.
Dr. Robert Winston loses faith in himself and his religion when his own mother dies under his scalpel. Abandoning his profession, he moves to the Canadian Northwest, where he avoids companionship and drinks constantly. Despite Robert's atheism, he attracts the interest of Jeanette Mercier, the minister's daughter, and under her gentle influence, he is slowly regenerated. In the meantime, an Indian named Lone Deer bids a temporary farewell to his sweetheart Winona, whose father wishes to die among his own people, but when he finds her canoe overturned in the water, he assumes that she has drowned. Later Lone Deer saves Jeanette from Lou Baribeau, the brutal and lecherous company agent, but is seriously wounded in the struggle. Rev. Mercier convinces Robert to operate, and because the procedure proves successful, the doctor regains his faith and marries Jeanette. Winona finally returns to aid in Lone Deer's recovery.
Hugo Reid loves and is engaged to the fair Irene. Warned by his father that insanity runs in their family he chooses to break with her without sharing the reason why. Driven by his loneliness and despair, Hugo goes back to his former flame, Hazel Hamilton, a lady of loose character. Irene sees them together and hurt flees with Hugo in pursuit. At first anxious to win her back, Hugo eventually tells all to Irene’s mother, leaving the house for good. Shortly thereafter he falls into madness.