Cheap Skates

In a small town in Indiana in the 1890s, the domineering and ambitious Mrs. Biddle arranges a marriage between her spoiled daughter Thelma and the town's prize catch, harvester David Langston, who is wedded to the soil. David is friends with orphan Ruth Jameson and, although she is in love with him, he eventually gives in to the machinations of Mrs. Biddle and consents to marry Thelma. Meanwhile, technological advances come to town, including its first gasoline buggy, galvanic battery, and metal bathtub fitted with running water. When Mrs. Biddle tries to convince David to give up the farming life and join her husband in real estate, Mr. Biddle, hen-pecked and dissatisfied with city life, warns David against selling his farm.

Buddy Watson, the youngest of three brothers, and just getting accustomed to long pants, meets Elsie Forster at a church social and is smitten by the young lady's charms. He writes, addressing the letter simply, "Miss Forster," asking permission to call. Elsie gets the note and joyously answers "yes," but Grace, her sister, sees the letter and is quite sure he means her.

Molly, a glamorous clothing model in New York, though yearning for a life of luxury, spurns the advances of her boss's son in favor of a shipping clerk, late of the backwoods.

Working as a wardrobe girl in a cheap traveling stock company, Mamie Judd secretly loves Jenks, the leading man, who scarcely notices the young girl. She saves Neal Selden, son of a small-town banker, from being accused of robbery and murder, acts committed by the company's manager and leading lady.

While vacationing with his father Edward at a Palm Beach hotel, George Welston becomes smitten with Eve Pendleton, the daughter of Edward's business rival Judson. After George prevents Pendleton from getting an option on a deal by racing in his car with his father's $100,000 deposit, Pendleton favors Eve's other suitor, Arthur Trask, whose gentlemanly manner conceals his intent to rob Eve and her wealthy friends.

When newlywed Robert Ellis suspects that his missing wife is having a clandestine affair, he appeals to his friend, Pat Murphy, to find her. Pat's search leads him to the Waldorf-Astoria where he finds a woman named Edna Ellis and, assuming that she is Ellis' errant wife, kidnaps her and returns her to Ellis. Complications arise when the real Mrs. Ellis arrives home and discovers another woman. After several comic incidents, Pat falls in love with Edna and Ellis learns that his wife's secret rendezvous was with her sister.

In order to inherit their uncle's property, two cousins must marry each other.

Sonny Boy's parents are in the midst of a bitter divorce when the boy's mother talks her sister into kidnapping him because she is terrified that her husband will take the boy out of the country after the divorce.

When the painter Christopher Bean dies, some unscrupulous art dealers try to get several of his paintings cheaply from a family who have no idea of their value.

A woman objects to her bachelor friend getting married, so she makes him appear so ridiculous that the other woman refuses to marry him.

Maude Brooks is in love with an aviator, George Pinckney. Maude tells her father that she intends to marry George, as he is a splendid fellow, but her father will not listen to her. So she decides to elope. Maude meets George at the machine and together they fly up into the air. Mr. Brooks, who has been apprised of his daughter's intentions, starts in pursuit.

A mountaineer, who has been shot by a pursuing sheriff, is concealed by a mountain girl in her cabin. When the sheriff arrives, she gives him whiskey, while secretly removing the bullets from his gun.

Fred Hart, a young businessman, unknown to his wife, draws their savings from the bank with the purpose of buying a home as a birthday surprise for his wife. He finds a real estate agent who has just the kind of a home he is looking for. He has to visit the agent's home during the course of his business transactions, he becomes well acquainted with the agent's family. The real estate man, a camera fiend, suggests to Fred his taking a picture of him and his family. Fred is agreeable and the agent gives him a copy of the picture. Fred puts it in his pocket and returns home to his wife.

Removed from an orphanage, Nance Olden is taken to live at Mother Hogan's boarding-house for crooks. There she becomes Tom Morgan's partner, helping him steal a jewel from Edward Ramsey at Union Station.

Pansy O'Donnell, a salesgirl, is given a two-week vacation at a summer resort, where she advertises clothing made by her company. The hotel clerk mistakes her for movie actress Marie La Tour, and gossip spreads that she is staying incognito.

Brick Hubbard, a "printer's devil", convinces his friend Sid Fletcher to invest in "The Gazette", a local newspaper. Sid pens an editorial that infuriates Ira Gates, a local banker and a power in the town--and who also happens to be the father of Vivian Gates, whom Sidney is in love with. To complicate matters, the bank is robbed and Sidney is suspected of the crime.

Serious university co-ed Alice Smith, is wholly engrossed, it would appear, in chasing butterflies and rare insects under the guidance of her friend, Mr. Spangle, Ph. D., though she secretly yearns to be an athlete and thus win the admiration of Jerry Marvin, a popular schoolmate. She takes up swimming, making herself the campus joke because of her ideas on the subject.

Wandering minstrel Louis d’Angelo must flee his homeland to America after a duel over the hand of his beloved, Delicia. Finding hardship and deceit at first, he eventually also finds success. Because another suitor, Colonel Navarro, has been intercepting his letters Delicia fears Louis has forsaken her and journeys to America to discover the truth followed by her parents and Navarro. By chance all gather at the same restaurant and the lovers are reunited.

Luke attempts to sell books to a businessman and his wife.

This offering tells the tale of one, Oscar Weeban, a fellow deeply in love with a certain Maisie. He has promised to take her to the Garbage Gentlemen's Rally, that annual society event of the small town in which it is their fortune to reside, and she sends him a note to this effect. He is a rank outsider, but manages to inject himself into the spirit of the affair and enters into the sport of the occasion with a vim. It is at this event that the ashes throwing contest is held every year, and garbage men from all sections, trained to the minute, flock to the party to compete. The contest is at its height and one of the experts is trying for a world's record when Oscar crosses the range. Of course, he and Maisie manage to get in the way of the winning throw and spoil the record which is about to be made.