Lucille Vale is in love with struggling architect Paul Arden, but her mother believes that Allen Granat is a more suitable match. Lucille's mother prevails, and Lucille leaves Paul a note in their secret hiding place saying that she is going to marry Allen. Paul is injured when thrown from a horse and does not receive the note. He is nursed back to health in the home of entomologist Thomas Wiggan, whose son Johnnie is in love with Marion Vale, Lucille's younger sister. Two years later, Lucille and Allen return to the estate, very much in love, and engage Paul's services. The note is found, still waiting in the secret hiding place. After many complications, and with the help of her friend Suzanne Russell, Lucille recovers the possibly incriminating note.
Kid Kelly, a gangster in New York's Lower East Side, attempts to rob Goldberg's millinery store. When the police arrive, Flo Haines, who had come to the building to look at an apartment, hides. When the police find her, they charge her with the crime, but the Kid turns himself over to the law instead. After his release, he again meets Flo, who works in an artificial-flower factory by day and at Reverend Roberts' relief mission by night. The Kid soon falls in love with Flo, and his jealous sweetheart Mamie tricks her into coming to her apartment, where she drugs her and turns her over to Joe Carelli, the flower factory's lustful owner. The Kid saves Flo, but when Carelli is found murdered the next day, he is arrested for the crime. The confession of Annie, who had stabbed Carelli in a jealous rage, frees The Kid, who reforms himself and marries Flo.
Heading to America after finding themselves destitute following their father's death, Charles de la Fontaine, the Marquis d'Aubeterre and his sister Helen secures a position in the home of Lathrop, a millionaire thanks to the Countess d'Este. He instantly falls in love with Lathrop's pretty daughter Marian, but she fears he is a fortune hunter and becomes engaged to the wealthy Rudolph Miller. Charles tells her he would only marry her when the two are equally wealthy. Charles then secretly backs Marian's brother Frank in a successful financial venture, making both rich. Discovering Rudolph is unfaithful and with the "golden wall" of wealth that had separated them now obliterated, Marian and Charles wed.
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.
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.
Susanne Danbury and Walter Gaylord, the man she loves, are among the weekend guests of her publisher, Hugh Bemis, and his wife Agatha, who also loves Walter. Lost film.
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.
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.
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.
During the American Revolution, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr are both courting beautiful Margaret Moncrieffe. Fast-forward several years and they again find themselves on opposite sides, this time about compensation for the properties of Tories--colonists who sided with the British--during the war. Hamilton falls for Maria Reynolds, who it turns out is secretly the wife of prominent pawnbroker Jacob Clingman, a friend of Burr's. The pair conspire to destroy Hamilton, who is now Secretary of the Treasury and married to the daughter of a prominent army general, by making public several love letters Hamilton had written to Mrs. Reynolds.
William Lewis accidentally shoots a policeman while breaking into a house as a prank with his friends. His friend Sid falsely accuses him of the shooting, and Will escapes, eventually meeting and marrying Alice. Later, Sid blackmails Will into helping him rob a bank, leading to a chain of events that ultimately results in Will's imprisonment and eventual tragic death.
Wealthy Lucy Winter falls in love itinerant gardener George Turner much to her father's chagrin. In flashback we find there is a deep seated reason for his truculence, one that caused great sorrow to all. In time things are resolved after much soul searching.
A soap factory heir poses as a worker to reform conditions, and is saved from an anarchist by a flower girl.
Ruthless stockbroker John McLane has ruined James Horton through reckless money management. McLane is extremely hard in business matters. When Horton’s son, Walter, confronts McLane they have a stormy altercation in which McLane is accidentally killed with a paper knife. McLane’s blind daughter Nora has been upstairs during the incident but runs down to find Horton sitting in a chair feigning sleep. Nora touches him lightly on the face thus impressing his features in her mind and when she turns to her father he flees. In time Nora’s blindness is cured and at a house party she meets Walter Horton. He recognizes her but she does not know him, and they fall in love but when she touches his face, she realizes the truth.
Ranch foreman Kerry has boarded with Kitty Tynan and her mother for five years in western Canada, his past is a mystery to everyone. He is actually an English aristocrat who lost all his money gambling and left the country in search of work. Kerry and his friend Horan own an option on property which crooked lawyer Burlingame is trying to secure. Burlingame's cohort Logan murders Hogan, and is caught and arrested. In the trial, Burlingame forces Kerry to admit his past, and succeeds in preventing Kerry from receiving bank assistance. When Kerry is shot, Kitty opens a letter from Kerry's wife that he had been carrying for five years, and cables her. Kerry's wife arrives and informs him that his last bet in England had turned out to be a $20,000 winner. Kerry is able to use the money just in time to foil Burlingame and secure the property, thus winning prosperity and the affections of his wife.
A DA's son gets involved in a drug-related murder, and it's up to his father and sister to get him out.
Even though his widowed mother and sweetheart, Mary Putnam, disapprove, Worth Stuyvesant insists on going to West Point and becoming a soldier. Ultimately, Mary breaks off their engagement and Stuyvesant goes on a bender. His conduct is reported to the commander, who sends him to the sub post of Del Rio for 60 days of tour duty. There, Stuyvesant meets Lola Montez, an adventuress. With the help of a couple of her pals, Lola gets him drunk and marries him. But Stuyvesant lives up to his duties as a husband and surprisingly, Lola renounces her old ways and becomes a model wife.
A young widow and her baby find refuge with a miserly backslider after being evicted. While the miser is away, criminals invade, mistreating the mother. The miser returns, pleading for their safety, and upon their rescue, his adoption of the baby reveals his true Christian nature, despite his church absence.
"The Prince of Broadway" George Burke, heavyweight boxing champion of the world, trains by drinking and dancing all night. After he is knocked out, his manager tears up his contract and tells him he is through. His sweetheart, actress Nancy Lee rescues him from the gutter and asks her admirer, Wade Turner to take him to his ranch to get back in shape. Wade, jealous of George, tells his foreman, Buck Marshall, to hinder George's comeback. Wade’s neighbor, former champ Jim Jeffries offers to help George get back into condition. Trying for the advantage Wade tells Nancy that George is not training, but when she goes out to the ranch, she uncovers the conspiracy. George regains the championship and wins Nancy's hand.