Bruce Wilton has amassed a fortune which he lavishes on his wife Vera. But a note of menace creeps into their happy home. No one hears it at first, except Father Kelly, a priest and Bruce's former tutor. The priest goes quietly to work with his sharpened mental sense to find the person who is causing the adverse influence in the house-hold. When he is on the verge of discovering the cause, calamity sweeps in on Bruce; his fortune is swept away and in a manner that he believe his wife was the cause of his ruin.Husband and wife are separated, divorced and their home is destroyed, and yet the cause remains unknown. But Father Kelly, with his faith that moves mountains, goes on quietly, serenely and confident with but one purpose in mind - the happiness of those he loves.

Eleanor Mannering, an American girl living abroad at the home of her cousin, Jessica Mannering, chooses Prince Carl of Noyodna from among her titled suitors and marries him. As they start on their wedding trip they meet with an automobile accident and Eleanor is injured. Baron Von Steinberck, prime minister of Noyodna, arrives at Jessica Mannering's house shortly after the Prince and Princess have left it. He has a message for Prince Carl calling on him to return at once to his capital as his father, the King, is at the point of death. He learns that the Prince has just started on his wedding journey. Accompanied by Dr. McKenzie and one of the Prince's advisers, Von Aldorz, the prime minister, follows Prince Carl and Eleanor. They arrive on the scene of the auto wreck. The Prince leaves at once for Noyodna, after placing his wife in the hands of Dr. McKenzie and Von Aldorz. Back at Jessica's home, Princess Eleanor develops amnesia and remembers nothing that happened before the accident. In delirium her memory partially returns. She calls for her husband piteously, though it is evident that she has forgotten his appearance and personality. Dr. McKenzie and Von Aldorz decide that she has one chance of regaining her reason. A man must appear at her bedside posing as her husband. Mallory, a lover of adventure, and a daredevil, is selected for the role of the bogus Prince. Mallory is presented to the Princess. She falls in love with him at sight and he with her. She believes that he is, as she has been told, the Prince, her husband. The real Prince returns unexpectedly and finds his wife in Mallory's arms. Von Steinberck wishes to rid the Prince of his morganatic wife and abducts her. Prince Carl's father had died and Carl is now King. Mallory sees the abduction and follows. Prince Carl learns of it, too, and pursues with Dr. McKenzie and Von Aldorz. The Princess is carried by Steinberck to a deserted castle. Mallory gets into the castle, followed by the Prince and his group. There is a battle with pistols, during which Steinberck wounds Mallory and kills Prince Carl. Eleanor is freed. Her love for Mallory turns to resentment when she hears of the deception. But Mallory is now hovering between life and death. In his delirium he calls for Eleanor just as she did for a dimly-remembered husband. Dr. McKenzie tells her that her presence at Mallory's bedside alone can save Mallory's life. As she kneels beside the Irish adventurer and calls him by name; he smiles in recognition. The picture fades out with them in each other's arms.

A young author is so overjoyed at selling her first book that she unknowingly signs over all her rights to the greedy publisher. Later, after the book becomes a best-seller, the publisher's nephew (who has fallen in love with her) tries to help her get her rights back.

The pride of his aristocratic Southern family, a young man shatters his family's hopes by marrying a Broadway vamp known as "The Moth." The young man's father then plots to rescue his unwitting son from "The Moth's" clutches, but at great sacrifice.

Dorian Keene, a broker, who has lost most of his money in Wall Street, and his wife, Florence, dissatisfied with her lot, wants a divorce. Out of his great love for her, Dorian agrees to allow her to have it. While the papers are being prepared Sanders, Florence's god-father, confesses to Dorian that he has misappropriated funds belonging to Florence. He fears an exposure, since she is getting a divorce, and may demand an accounting. Dorian promises to do what he can to protect Sanders. They go to Dorian's hunting lodge, where Florence agrees to meet Dorian with her lawyer. There Sanders weakens and tells Florence of the missing funds. She turns upon him in a violent temper. A maid hears them quarreling and soon afterward hears a shot. Hurrying into the room she finds Sanders dead with a bullet wound in his temple. She tells Dorian that Florence has killed Sanders. In his devotion to his wife, Dorian takes the blame for the crime. Then he escapes in an automobile. Down the road Dorian encounters a highwayman who holds him up, takes his clothing and the machine, and leaves his outfit with the bewildered broker. Further along the road the automobile goes over a steep embankment and the car is burned. The body of the highwayman is charred beyond recognition, and everyone thinks it is Dorian. Dorian, penniless, wanders to the water front in New York, intending to take a ship for Europe. There he learns that Henry Morgan, a fellow broker, who was instrumental in making Florence dissatisfied with her lot, has bought his old yacht, the Sea Gull, and is arranging for a smuggling expedition. Morgan has lost nearly all his money, and, in desperation, has taken a contract to smuggle Chinese into this country for a thousand dollars a head. Dorian succeeds in getting a job aboard the yacht as a stoker. The yacht puts to sea, and when some distance from land, meets another vessel, from which the Chinese are taken aboard. As the yacht nears New York, Dorian, after many thrilling incidents, gains control of the wireless apparatus, and notifies the Federal authorities of the smuggling scheme. A revenue cutter meets the yacht and the captain and crew are arrested. The captain names Morgan as the man higher up. Meanwhile Morgan has been pressing his suit with Florence, who, believing her husband dead, has agreed to marry Morgan. Instead, he urges her to come to him without a ceremony. Florence then spurns him, and realizing his true nature turns her thoughts to Dorian. Then the government agents call to arrest Morgan, and at the same time she learns that her husband is alive. Florence sends for Dorian, welcomes him home, and together they tear up the papers for the proposed divorce, which she has kept in her possession.

Rich young playboy Gregory Kirkland reads a newspaper story about a daring robbery, and bets his friends that he can steal a famous diamond tiara, The Sultana, from its designer and then secretly return it without being caught. Robert Sautrelle, who designed the tiara, visits Kirkland's home, and Gregory does indeed steal it. However, he gets cold feet before he returns it and convinces a woman he knows, Virginia Lowndes, to return it. Unfortunately, things don't work out exactly as Gregory had planned.

Rethna works hard to organize her fellow factory employees against the miserly, uncaring owner, Henry Burke. Then, realizing that she needs money to fight Burke, she begins an affair with his unscrupulous son Harry. After a year she breaks up with him to marry his kind brother Walter, and so continues to use Burke funds to aid Burke employees. Walter truly loves Rethna, but when he finds out that she married him only for his money, he leaves her. Then, while she is at the factory pleading with Henry for better conditions, a fire breaks out. Walter rescues Rethna from the flames, and during her convalescence she discovers that she really does love him. She and Walter reconcile, and then, as a result of the fire, Henry decides to spare no expense in improving factory conditions.

An unusual story about the crossing paths of the poor Italian family of sculptor Giovanni (Lon Chaney) and reckless American millionaire, Cyrus Kirkham (Gilmore Hammond). Louise Lovely plays two parts: Giovanni's wife Leonita, who comes to grief when Cyrus falls in love with her; and Giovanni's daughter Elisa, whose beauty brings a horrific resolution to the two families' woes.

An arrogant young man leaves his Ohio home to make it big on Broadway in New York City when he inherits the family business and $1-million. However, things don't go quite according to his plans. After he blows most of the money, he returns to Ohio to try to sell the family business to raise more money, but complications ensue.

A Japanese aristocrat and an American woman fall in love, but their relationship is complicated when her brother seduces his sister.

Marie Temosach, an Indian girl, graduates with honors at an eastern college, but is not received socially, and is glad to return to her old home. She is coveted by Sancho, a cattle thief, but she rebuffs his advances. Morton Dean, a spendthrift, is trapped into an engagement with Dora Wendell, a society adventuress. His father threatens to disinherit him, and dies within a short time, leaving one will bequeathing only his mines to Morton, and a supplementary will, specifying that the rest of his estate should go to Morton after six months. Dora refuses to marry Morton, believing him penniless, and he goes to Mexico, where he and Marie become mutually attracted to each other. Sancho becomes jealous, and after being worsted in a fight with Morton, swears revenge. Marie warns Morton, but he tells her to have no fear. Later Morton is wounded and rescued by Marie, who takes him to her cabin. They declare their love, and Marie, telling Morton that he shall henceforth be "her god," destroys the idol she has previously worshiped. Dora, learning that Morton has not been disinherited, follows him. She meets Sancho, and they go to Marie's cabin. To save Morton, Marie paints him to represent the idol and places him on the pedestal. Sancho and Dora, not suspecting this ruse, search the cabin, but cannot find him. Marie forces Morton to go back to the white girl, despite his protests. Later, haunted by visions of him, she rises in the night, and goes onward and onward, as in a dream, until she is in the embrace of the man she loves. Sancho again annoys Marie, who proudly shows him her baby. He tells her he is the child's father, that the night she walked in her sleep she came to his hut. He goes for a priest and tells Marie he has come to marry her honorably. Just as the ceremony is about to be performed, Morton returns and claims her as his wife, and Sancho is killed by the officers in a skirmish that ensues.

Oliver Curwell disowned his son Roger because he declined to abandon art and go into business, Roger gradually drifted from bad to worse until he was a derelict on the streets of San Francisco. In his art-student days a girl of the name of Olga had shown interest in him, believing he would inherit his father's millions, but when he was cast off the girl abandoned her pretense of affection. One evening Roger wanders into "Sailor's Rest," a saloon and dance hall run by "Hell" Morgan. A work of art hanging behind the bar Roger denounced as a "daub." Morgan resented this remark and was beating Roger when Lola saved his life by her interference. Morgan's daughter continued to befriend Roger and finally prevailed upon her father to give Roger the job of playing the piano in the dance hall. Roger painted Lola's portrait and they fell in love with each other. Sleter, a tough politician, objected, for the reason that he coveted Morgan's daughter. Olga leads a party of friends to "Sailor's Rest" on a slumming tour. She sees Roger at the piano and sends for him, as she reads in the newspapers of the death of Oliver Curwell, who willed his millions to his son. Roger joins Olga's party, and the old days are recalled. He forgets his love for Lola, and makes advances which Olga reciprocates. Lola goes to the party of slummers, and takes physical toll of both Roger and Olga. As a result Roger leaves "Sailor's Rest" and Lola resigns herself to Sleter. But when he attempts to collect his reward, Lola rebels and resists his advances. The tumult in Lola's room attracts "Hell" Morgan. He dashes upstairs, and in an encounter with Sleter is shot and mortally wounded. Lola drives Sleter from her room and escapes, dragging her father down a fire escape. Hardly have they reached the ground when San Francisco's earthquake and fire break loose. "Sailor's Rest" tumbles in a burning heap. Helping her father, Lola reaches the Presidio, where refugees are assembling. Her father is near death and she seeks a doctor in the crowd. Roger has been drawn back to "Sailor's Rest" by his love for Lola, and when he finds the place in ruins he likewise wends his way to the Presidio. Fate brings them together as "Hell" Morgan dies.

It is Barbara Brent's birthday and under her breakfast plate her father has just placed a jewel box. As he sits waiting for Barbara to appear, he recalls the circumstances of her birth, and in memory he is living again in the boom mining town of Gold Bar. As though it were yesterday, he pictures his rapture over the tiny bundle the nurse has placed in his arms and his triumphal entry into the open street that the miners can feast their eyes upon his daughter. His anguish over the death of Barbara's mother, the sudden pinching off of the gold vein and the desertion of the town by all of its inhabitants, recur vividly to him. Barbara coaxes her father and Congressman John Wallace, her fiancé, to take her to the deserted town of Gold Bar as a birthday treat. Arriving, with provisions for several days' stay, they come across an old prospector who has lived all these years near the scene of the strike. He is suffering from hunger and exposure. They make him comfortable and then set out to explore the deserted grocery of Dick Dingle, now a convict. One of the floor boards gives way under Barbara's weight and when she draws up her foot, she finds a gold nugget clinging to the heel of her shoe. A search reveals a sack of nuggets which the jolly conspirators bury near the creek where they will be unearthed by the old prospector. Events now follow one another in rapid succession. While the prospector is off to bank his discovered gold, Barbara, her father, and her fiancé, actually discover gold and file a claim in the name of the old prospector with Barbara as his partner. News of the find spreads like wildfire and there is a general rush for the deserted town by eager gold seekers. In a fight to prevent the stealing of their claim, Barbara and the old prospector hold off Dingle, who has been released from prison, and his confederates, until Wallace can return from the land office. Dingle is taken in hand by the sheriff and prosperity once more returns to Gold Bar.

Brandon, a police lieutenant, has made it extremely unhealthy for Mulhall and his partner Letson to continue their gambling operations. They plan revenge. Mulhall hires Benny, a gangster, to "plant" his I.O.U. for $2,500 on the person of Brandon. At the gambler's trial, Mulhall accuses the policeman of raiding his place because he was unable to collect hush money. The I.O.U. is found in Brandon's hat and he is stripped of his authority and held for trial. Grant, police reporter on the Chronicle, suspects that Brandon is the victim of a frame-up and trails the gambler to his quarters. Climbing the dumbwaiter shaft, he overhears Mulhall outline a plot to his accomplice for enticing the disgraced lieutenant to that room and then confronting him with detectives. Myrta, the lieutenant's daughter, is also afraid that her father is the victim of a hoax and follows him when he starts to keep his appointment, dressed in boy's clothes. Mulhall decides to double-cross his partner and hires Benny the gangster to finish him while the policeman is in the room. How Grant at the risk of his life saves Myrta from mortal injury at the hands of the gangster and brings Mulhall, the plotter, to justice provides a thrilling climax.

Prologue: Conrad LaGrange proposes marriage to Mary Gibson. She refuses him and marries Aaron King and they welcome son Aaron King, Jr. John Willard, who does not approve of the intimacy between his sister Myra, and James Rutledge, provokes a quarrel with Rutledge. Thinking he has killed him, Willard goes West. A baby is born to Myra, who does not know that Rutledge has a wife. Mrs. Rutledge learns of it. Crazed with jealousy, she seeks Myra, throws acid in her face, marring her for life; then commits suicide. With Myra's permission, Rutledge takes the baby to raise with his son, James Rutlidge, Jr., and shares his wealth equally between them. Myra refuses his offers of money, and writes to John Willard, her brother, asking for help. In California, he holds up a mail stage to get money for her fare West. Willard is arrested. Myra, ignorant of this, goes to Graymont, California. Not finding her brother, she wanders into the mountains and to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Andres, who take her in. She is like a mother to Sybil, Andres' only child. Years pass. Aaron King, in financial difficulties and disgrace, dies. LaGrange, who has prospered, pays some of Mrs. King's debts and again asks her to marry him. She refuses, saying her life belongs to her boy. Mrs. King, sacrifices all to keep Aaron, her son, now a young man, in a Paris art school. Graduating with high honors, he receives word that his mother is ill, and rushes home in time to see her die. The Story: Twenty-five years have elapsed. Aaron King, Jr. leaves for the West. On the same train are Gertrude Taine; her husband Edward Taine, a wreck many years her senior; and Mrs. Taine's stepdaughter Louise Taine. They are met by James Rutledge, Jr. Myra, who now lives in Fairlands, recognizes Mrs. Taine and Rutledge. King becomes acquainted with LaGrange. Friendship springs up between the pair. King is commissioned to paint Mrs. Taine's portrait. He and LaGrange take a cottage next, to Sybil and Myra. Rutledge annoys Sybil with his attentions. King and LaGrange meet Sybil. Mrs. Taine becomes infatuated with King. John Willard (now known as John Marston) escapes from prison. He meets Rutledge, who befriends him and bides him in a mountain cabin. Mrs. Taine is pleased with the portrait. As King contrasts Sybil with Mrs. Taine, he sees the latter as a designing soul in a beautiful body. Refusing to let her have the portrait, he asks her to pose again. Thinking she has infatuated King, she consents. He also paints Sybil's portrait. Mrs. Taine gives a reception in honor of King and LaGrange. She tries to influence King by causing Sybil to play her violin as one of the paid performers. Mr. Taine collapses in the midst of a speech and is carried off, dying. Mrs. Taine, visiting King's studio, finds him absent. Sybil comes in. Mrs. Taine, bringing in the fact that Sybil was up in the mountains with Myra while LaGrange and King were on a camping trip in the mountains, convinces Sybil that the world thinks she is the artist's mistress. Sybil stops long enough to write a note for Myra, and then rides away. Myra tells King of Sybil's disappearance. He follows her, and enlists the aid of Brian Oakley, the forest ranger. Rutlidge learns of Sybil's departure. By threatening Marston with exposure, he forces him to kidnap Sybil. Marston takes her to a cabin. Oakley, King and a posse of men search the mountains for her. King goes to Granite Peak, but Rutledge gets there first. Rutledge makes the proposition that they throw down their guns and fight it out. As Rutledge is about to throw King over the cliff. Marston appears with Sybil, who begs him to save King. He shoots Rutledge, who topples over the cliff. Then Marston disappears. King and Sybil go back to town. Sybil has discovered that she loves King and that he loves her. Mrs. Taine goes to the studio. She sees herself on the canvas as King sees her, and flies into a rage. She threatens to blast King's career and to ruin Sybil's reputation. LaGrange, overhearing, brings Myra in and has her tell her story. As Mrs. Taine listens, she bares her shoulder, showing a scar which identifies her as Myra's daughter. LaGrange threatens if she ever speaks ill of Sybil or King to publish the story broadcast Mrs. Taine retreats. Later, Sybil, learning from LaGrange that King has completed his masterpiece, goes to the studio. King takes her in his arms.

A man turns poacher for love of a married woman and is jailed by his widowed mother's evidence.

After divorcing his first wife and marrying a more gentle natured woman, Ralph Hadley finds himself again attracted to his ex-wife, a shrewd business woman. Trouble begins when he foolishly invites her to lunch, setting gossipy tongues-wagging. The news reaches his devoted wife who has discovered she is pregnant. She confronts the ex-wife who agrees to never see Ralph again and marries another admirer. Devasted, Ralph decides to kill himself ,luckily he is found in time by the doctor with the good news of the birth of his child. Ralph regains his senses and the couple are happily reunited.

A bartender named Holiday is a teetotaler, and decides to preach his new belief in abstinence to all the world, until there is no one left who drinks.

Prince Sebastian of Lurania is forced to go into hiding when German forces invade his country. His niece, Countess Therese, is an ambulance driver with the French army, and one day she hears from her uncle, who requests that she meet him in a small town in Maine and bring the crown jewels with her. Unfortunately, a jewel thief finds out about the meeting and makes a deal with the Luranian pretender to the throne: he will steal the jewels and he can keep them if he kidnaps and turns over the Countess to the usurper.

Nancy, a naive young girl who works backstage at a musical-comedy theatre, learns from the chorus girls the notion of winning a man by the seductive method of "vamping" him. She tries the method on the shy minister she loves, and it works. They marry and resettle in a mining town where a German operative foments dissension amongst the miners. Nancy is called upon to use her vamping technique once more to get the best of the German spy.

An Army lieutenant at a remote post in Arizona tells a young woman that he does not love her, so she contrives to marry his commanding officer, who is also his best friend.

Neysa von Igel, who is living with her supposed grandfather Adolph Schmidt, loves America, although she believes herself to be German-born. Unknown to Neysa, when she was three years old, her American-born parents were killed in Germany by Emil Koenig, whose punishment was to be sent to the United States to work in the interest of the government of the Fatherland, and who is now associated with Schmidt in his manufacturing enterprise. Koenig demands that Neysa work in behalf of Germany. She revolts and escapes to the home of David Hale, who had been her grandfather's attorney but who is now in the service of the United States Government. Hale and Neysa are married and depart for France, where the girl again encounters Koenig, and, after many thrilling adventures, she kills him in self-defense.

Louisiana is a mountain girl living in North Carolina (though named for her mother's home state). A poor girl, she is sent by her father to work in a resort hotel in order to obtain some cultural improvements. There she falls in love with a wealthy young man, much to the chagrin of the angry young mountain boy who wants her to give up her cultured ways and come back to the hills with him.

A scholar defends prostitution before the World Court.

Flighty Helen Halverson decides that she wants to marry Big Jim McKenzie, the boss of the logging camp her father owns, after he is temporarily blinded after he crashes his toboggan into a tree in order to avoid hitting Helen. She convinces her cousin Adele--who is actually also in love with Jim--to get him to propose. Jim's sight returns and he and Helen marry, but on the day their child is to be born, he goes blind again. Frustrated by being married to a blind man, Helen falls in love with his assistant Jean Du Bray. Complications ensue.