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- Trixie believe the only way she can save her older sister from dying of tuberculosis is by preventing the autumn leaves from falling, so one night she steals into the garden in her nightie and fastens fallen leaves to branches with twine.
- Frank Watson was spending a month in New York when one day he receives a letter from his father requesting him to come home and also that a surprise awaits him on his return. This aroused Frank's curiosity, so immediately he made preparations to leave at once. One arriving home he went at once to the drawing room and there to his surprise he saw a very attractive girl sitting by the fire-place seeming to be perfectly at home with her surroundings. Frank coughs. The girl turns around and then nods to him but leaves the room at once. Just then his mother and father come in and greet him. At once Frank begins to question them about the girl. For an answer Frank's father walks to the desk and brings Frank a letter. There he learns that this girl is the daughter of his father's best friend who has just died and has made his father guardian. The girl's name is Peggy and she has been left a large fortune. Frank does not approve of this and begins to offer his objections. At the same time Peggy is seen coming down the stairs at the back of the room and accidentally overhears what Frank is saying. She then comes into the room and they are introduced. Six months later we find Frank in bad company. He has started gambling and has hard times settling all his debts. At present he owes $500 to a very miserly Jew who has Frank's promissory note to pay in a week's time. Poor Frank is almost a nervous wreck, for he has no means by which he can lift this debt. The day has come and we now see Frank nervously awaiting the Jew's arrival. The Jew is ushered in and at once starts business. He then learns that Frank is unable to pay and then swears that he will go to Frank's father for payment. Frank pleads not to tell his father. The Jew looks around the room in order to find some plan with which to force Frank to pay. Suddenly he notices a small safe in the desk marked EMERGENCY SAFE. He calls Frank's attention to it. After much arguing the Jew has persuaded Frank to get his payment from this safe with the hope of winning it back and then replace the money before the father finds it out. Frank takes the money, gets a receipt from the Jew and orders him out. Frank leaves the room at once. Suddenly we see Peggy getting up out of the large chair by the fireplace. She has accidentally overheard all that has passed between them without their knowledge and she realizes Frank's position at once. She decides to help Frank out of his trouble and starts to think of a plan. Later we see her coming into the drawing room all ready for a journey, carrying a suitcase in her hand. She puts a letter on the table for Frank's father and then leaves the house. The girl makes a splendid sacrifice to save Frank and later, in an impressive scene Frank admits his guilt and asks for forgiveness of the girl he has grown to love.
- An abused woman finds love in the arms of a famous novelist.
- Algie Allmore has one year to prove he's a man in order to wed Harry Lyons' daughter.
- A chance find of money makes the penniless Sam a good match for the nouveau riche Lindy. But Sam soon loses the money at cards - and with it the favor of the unfaithful Lindy.
- A recent immigrant learns several hard lessons about how husbands in America are expected to behave.
- Herbert Moore leads a gang of crooks by a sheer force of mentality, while his pal Burley Butts leads by brutal force. Between them they plan to rob noted philanthropist Mr. Stanhope, on whom Moore has been spying. For their ill purposes they use little Oliver, one of Butts' unwilling pupils. On a dark night they embark on their venture. Gripping events ensue in rapid succession: Oliver enters the house. He makes his way, with a bulls-eye lantern; here we have a remarkable light effect, a sudden flash, the lights go up, and little Oliver faces the muzzle of a revolver. Mr. Stanhope is surprised to see the youthful criminal. He quizzes him. But little Oliver cries and tells his story. Stanhope is moved by the boy's tale. In taking out his handkerchief to dry his eyes, Oliver drops a silver half-dollar. Mr. Stanhope attempts to return it to Oliver, who brushes it away and tells him to keep it, informing him that the silver half-dollar is the gang's insignia and it can open in the middle and be used in an emergency as a saw for cutting rope, wire, or glass. Stanhope's interest is aroused, and he places the little souvenir in his pocket. Later this piece of metal is one of the means of saving his life. Oliver then pleads to be let free, and Stanhope allows him to go, after taking an oath that he will not attempt to steal again. This attempt failing, the gang sets a trap for Stanhope, but little Oliver passes a note and key to his benefactor when the thugs lower him into a vault. When Stanhope finds himself in the narrow vault, he struggles hard to free himself from the bonds which almost cut to the bones. He frees himself sufficiently to get the silver half-dollar, which he now puts to good use. After hours of effort he breaks his bonds. He tries to straighten himself and then finds the heavy key and the note in his coat pocket. He is scarcely able to read the instructions. The greenish light gives him the appearance of a man risen from the dead. Gradually his dulled mind absorbs the portent of the note. He desperately feels for the secret keyhole. His search is not in vain. Presently, he swings back the granite door and he is confronted with a vista of the city's filth and slime. He crawls through the outlet and makes his way through the sewer channels. The stench from stagnant sewerage pools, cesspool waste, mud and dirt, nearly suffocates him. But on and on he struggles, up to his knees through this liquid filth. Even an attack by a horde of sewer rats does not swerve him from his path. He fights the rodents off and they scamper. At last, weary and exhausted, he finds his way to the sewerage main, a ladder leading to a manhole giving entrance to the street. Bespattered with mud and filth, disheveled and bedraggled, he rushes through the streets and to the police station. The gang is soon surprised by big Colt six-shooters and little Oliver and his brother find a home in Mr. Stanhope's happy household.
- A man must marry by noon or lose his inheritance. It's 11:50 a.m. and he can't find his fiancée.
- A young boy hears wondrous tales of London, where the streets are paced with gold. He leaves his country home to see his fortune in London.
- The first story begins with a young and pretty girl named Isabelle sitting upon a hill. It is then that she is attacked by Pedro. And following the common thematic trajectory of the time, Isabelle is then rescued by the kind and brave medical student who spends his time as a minister for the poor, Alonzo. Pedro is insistent on revenge and applies to the local monastery where Alonzo works in order to frame him. He hopes to frame him for the mysterious and sudden disappearance of the church's jewels. The frame ends immediately after Pedro plants the jewels in Alonzo's home and the monks are quick to punish Alonzo and Isabelle.
- Two old fishermen sitting outside of their cabin see a boat at sea on fire. They rush to the life-saving station and report what they have seen. The ship is destroyed and the passengers are lost with the exception of a little boy. One of the old fishermen, who has a little girl the boy's age, decides to adopt him. The children become very fond of each other. Ten years later a New York lawyer comes to the fishing town and wants to adopt the child, but the boy is old enough to decide for himself, and does not want to go. The case is brought to court and it is decided that the child remain with his adopted parents, but that they place the money in the hands of a banker and the guardianship of the lawyer. Not very long afterward the banker is on the verge of bankruptcy and borrows from the boy's money. He has no means of returning it and decides to sell the boy some worthless stock in an unformed corporation. On his visit the banker falls in love with the young girl, now grown to be a beautiful young lady. The boy becomes jealous and seeing the banker kiss the girl fights with him on the edge of a cliff, from which the banker, who is not badly injured, falls. The boy, repentant, helps the banker to his father's house. The girl falls in love with the banker and elopes with him, but he soon neglects her for his gay companions and she returns to her father's home. The banker plans a robbery upon his own bank and is aided by crooks, who dig a tunnel under the bank and enter through the floor of the office. But the banker has already taken the money his confederates seek and flees to the fishing village where his wife is living with her parents. He is followed by the crooks, who trap him into giving them the stolen money. Having been seen by his wife's people, he takes the clothes from a body which is cast up by the sea, placing his own suit upon the unfortunate victim of the waves and placing a suicide note in the coat pocket. He tracks the crooks to a dive in the city and attempts to recover his stolen wealth, in a spectacular fight he follows one of his assailants down a fire rope from the window of a tall building, grappling with him in mid-air. The terrific struggle which ensues ends by the banker plunging headlong to the street below, thus ending his miserable career. The boy and girl live and love, as in their childhood, down by the sea.
- In the eastern part of New Mexico is locate the little mining town of Gatlach. There, however, we find an active mining camp dependent largely upon the famous Gatlach mine for its existence. Living in the camp we find Florence, who is loved by Jake. Florence, too, loves Jake. A new superintendent arrives to take charge of the mining property. The new arrival meets Florence and the man and girl fall in love. Discontent among the Mexican and half-breed miners develops. They mutiny, coming to the office making demands which the super promptly refuses and orders them from the place. The ruffians withdraw to arm themselves and then plan an attack upon the office and the death of their boss. Jake overhears the plot, and while he has no love for Harry, determines for the sake of Florence to save them. He rushes to the office and warns them just as the mob appears. They are pursued and finally take refuge in a narrow pass. With only one horse, escape for the party is impossible. Jake forces Harry against his will to take the horse and Florence and escape. They depart seeking aid, which is found in the shape of a troop of cavalry out scouting. Thus reinforced, they rush back to Jake's aid, but too late, he has fought his last fight and given up his life for those dear to him.
- A father who is obsessed with music won't let his daughter marry anyone who isn't a musician, so the girl's fiancé poses as a violin player
- Colonel Beverly Spottiswoode has fallen upon lean days. With his wife and daughter he is living in poverty in a dingy tenement, and having a hard struggle to make ends meet. At the time the story opens the last cent has been expended, and there is nothing in the house to eat. In addition, the daughter Rose, has fallen ill. When affairs are at this pass the Colonel receives a letter from an old schoolmate bidding him to a college reunion dinner at a fashionable restaurant. He is at first loath to go, but his wife and daughter prevail upon him to accept, for he will perhaps come upon something to relieve their distress among his old friends. The old evening clothes are brought out, sponged and pressed, and the Colonel sets forth. In a restaurant he finds Alex Henderson, his old school chum, who is giving the dinner, and ten or a dozen others of the old crowd. At the dinner the Colonel with the others is given the opportunity to examine a remarkably fine diamond Henderson is wearing. The stud is passed about from one to the other, when suddenly the lights go out. When they come on again the diamond is seen to be missing. A search is made everywhere but the stone cannot be found, Henderson locks the door and telephones for the police. Two officers appear and the situation is explained to them. They suggest a search of all present be made. All agree except the Colonel, and he is at once suspected. The party breaks up and the Colonel is shadowed home by a detective and Henderson, who climb on the fire escape to spy into the Colonel's rooms. Immediately is seen the reason why the Colonel would not permit a search. From his pockets he brings forth portions of food he has concealed there and brought home to his starving family. Henderson sends the detective away, and, descending the fire escape knocks at the door. The Colonel is at first cold, but as Henderson explains that he has come to apologize, he is admitted, and as he walks across the floor, the daughter catches a glimpse of something sparkling in his heel. The diamond stud is found embedded in the rubber heel of Henderson's shoe, and Henderson thereupon presents it to Rose.
- A married couple decide to "live separately together."
- "Wild Bill" Gray is a renegade and a wife-beater. He is about to start on some expedition of crime and his wife implores him to stay at home. She receives a beating for her trouble. Jim, a cowboy, rides past the shack, hears Mrs. Gray's screams and interferes, and takes Mrs. Gray over to his friend, the postmaster, so that she may have a good home. "Wild Bill" plans vengeance. Paxton, the postmaster, starts for the station with money and gold, and is accompanied a short way by Jim. Gray sneaks after them. After going with Paxton a short distance, Jim takes a turn in the road and Paxton rides on alone. Gray closes up on the postmaster, gets the drop on him, but Paxton is quick and there's a hand-to-hand struggle. Bill, however, worsts Paxton, and finally sends him over a precipice. But in falling, Paxton falls into a tree and thus is saved from sure death. In the meanwhile Paxton's horse comes back to his general store. When the riderless horse arrives there is naturally considerable excitement. Gray arrives on the scene and he makes things look pretty black for Jim, the man who was last seen with the postmaster. Jim is placed under arrest, but the boys, as well as the postmaster's young daughters, May and Gladys, do not believe Jim to be guilty. May and Gladys ride the trail and finally find their father after he calls to them. Gray stoutly asserts his innocence and manufactures evidence incriminating Jim. May and Gladys, the "two little rangers," however, untangle the evidence and their father's story cinches things. When things begin to look pretty black for Gray he retreats to his shack. The girls, however, are determined to get him and, after seeing their volleys of bullets have no effect, discharge a firebrand from a bow. The firebrand sets the shack on fire and Gray perishes in his own tomb.
- Mrs. Reggie Jellybone has her husband completely under control. She places a reflector on her sewing table in such a position that every movement and expression and manifest desire of her husband become known to her. She is, therefore, able to anticipate his movements and interfere in his plans. He seldom gets a chance to go to the club on the pretense of sitting up with a sick member. One night the boys at the club need a fifth hand very badly, and when they call up Jellybone, Mrs. Jellybone answers the phone, but they are not daunted. Mr. Resourceful is sent to get Jellybone in spite of his wife. A scheme is concocted and Jellybone goes to the club leaving a dummy on his side of the bed. When Mrs. Jellybone comes up to the room to retire, she finds blood-stains on the bed-clothes and grows excited. She shakes the dummy and the head is severed from the body and rolls under the bed. She excitedly concludes that her husband had been murdered, and immediately she calls for Burstup Homes, the renowned private detective. Burstup Homes arrives puffed up with importance, makes a very ceremonious investigation and deduces that the man is really dead. Furthermore, he deduces that a man wearing a ten size shoe is the criminal. In the examination Burstup Homes forgets essentials and takes up his time with details. He follows the blood-stain clue and a foot print clue. The visible stains on the improvised bed-sheet ladder which Jellybone used as a means to effect his escape also attracts the detective's attention and gives him strong evidence of an entrance and an exit from the house through the window. In fact, there are clues galore and Burstup Homes feverishly goes to work. Everyone he meets is a suspect. Deacon Stronghead, whom he meets on the way from the knife grinder where he had a knife sharpened for his wife, offers the strongest causes for suspicion, because he carries a concealed weapon, and the story is more complicated when Mrs. Jellybones plays a trick on her husband. Off she goes to the club, and here comes the big surprise, she does not pounce on her husband, as one would expect, but is so delighted that he is alive that she embraces him most rapturously. Jellybone begins to think that his wife will soon be stricken with an attack from over-indulgence and suffer untold agony. The farce ends up in the police station where Burstup Homes' failure is provocative of much laughter, but he is not at all dismayed and retorts that the police are jealous of him.
- A story of a poor Jew peddler. Its object is to show a human soul, ill-treated, scorned and terribly injured, showing courageous humanity and protecting from a mob of lynchers the very man who, in the first place, had wantonly upset his basket of apples and then had run over and killed his little daughter. The rich man insults the peddler further by offering him a few dollars. Later, the peddler finds him placing flowers on the child's grave and forgives him.
- During a party to watch Haley's comet, a father sees his daughter in the arms of a "strange young man" through the group's telescope. He breaks up the couple, dragging his daughter inside by the hair, but the young man returns to woo the girl from the garden below. He tries to climb to the window, but the father appears again to breakup the romance. The father banishes his daughter to bed and, to be sure she does not escape, confiscates her clothes and takes them to bed with him. Never at a loss, the daughter steals her father's only pair of clothes and sneaks away to elope with her lover. Discovering her departure, the father is forced to don her clothes in order to chase after her. Meanwhile, the young couple go to the home of an inexplicably effeminate priest, who is reluctant to marry the two 'boys' but concedes when one of them removes her cap to reveal she is a girl. The ceremony is performed and the father arrives too late, only to be lectured by the priest about both is rage and his odd dressing habits.
- Old Professor Gink, delving in the debris of an old fossil bed, discovers an ancient casket containing a collection of beautiful Egyptian gems. A very curious ring contained in the collection takes his fancy. This ring is wrapped in an old papyrus upon which is the inscription to the effect that whosoever wears this ring shall be loved. Happy at his great find, he ambles slowly homeward. Upon the arrival at his home, his wife upbraids him for keeping dinner waiting. He, nervously changing the ring from one hand to the other, accidentally slips the ring on his finger. His wife's wrathy demonstrations immediately undergo a wonderful change. She falls to hugging and kissing him, much to his surprise. She leaves the room to get his slippers and pipe. Professor Gink, dropping into a chair, takes off the ring and puts it on the table. Mary, the maid, sees it and tries it on. As she stands admiring the ring the Professor steals up and, putting his arms around Mary, begins to tell her how much he loves her. His wife returns to the room and horrified to find her husband making love to the maid she immediately begins to get busy. Mary flees to another room and thence to the kitchen. The iceman, upon entering the kitchen, showers Mary, who still wears the magic love ring, with his attentions. Likewise do the butchers, bakers and butlers demonstrate their cherished love. Mrs. Gink happens into the kitchen about this time. Angered at the way the tradesmen are treating her maid, she rushes to a window and calls a policeman. The policeman arrives and disposes of the tradesmen. He gets the ring and is about to leave when to the surprise of everybody, the wrathy Mrs. Gink, beginning to feel the influence of the magic ring, throws her arms around the policeman's neck and kisses him. With much difficulty he escapes from the house, but no sooner is on the street when the girls surround him and make all sorts of fond demonstrations. In the crowd that surrounds the policeman is an old maid. She decides that she must have this ring if it costs her her life. It if is simply wearing a ring that will procure her a husband she will not let this opportunity pass by. In the scuffle that follows the policeman is pushed into the river, with the ring still on his finger. The old maid, undismayed, jumps in after him, but upon fishing him out finds to her disgust that the ring has slipped from his finger.
- A Mexican officer is desirous of obtaining the intentions of the American troops. He converses with Decastro, who suggests that they send Juanita, a Spanish girl, into the American line. Juanita succeeds in getting acquainted with Lieutenant Harvey, of the American troops. Harvey teaches her telegraphy. Juanita, so far, has not been successful in securing any information that would be of use to the Mexican government, so she plans to admit Decastro into the telegraph office, when on one is there but the lieutenant. Decastro, after a struggle, subdues the lieutenant, and carries him to the Mexican general. Juanita, who is in love with the lieutenant, takes good care that no harm is done to her lover, and plans his rescue. The Mexican general orders that he give him all the information he can. He promptly refuses. Juanita interrupts and asks to be left alone with Harvey. Her request is granted. Now she plans his rescue. She dashes away to a telegraph pole, climbs, taps the wires, connects them with her instrument and is successful in conveying the news to the American troops. Enraged at the apparent treachery of Juanita and the persistent refusal of Harvey, the Mexican officer determines that the lieutenant be shot at sunrise. The execution is interrupted by the arrival of the American troops and Lieutenant Harvey is restored to his freedom and the loving arms of his sweetheart.
- Old Joel Smith is charged with murder in the first degree. At the trial he pleads in opposition to his own lawyers. He explains that he is now too old to be of any assistance to his widowed daughter and grandchildren, who are dependent on him for support. He says he prefers death to a life of poverty and wretchedness. In telling the judge and jury his pathetic story (which is shown on the screen) old Joel betrays a love for his grandchildren and his fellow laborers that is poignant with pathos. He tells how he had been sent by the men to tell the boss that they were dissatisfied. Athough Joel was a favorite with the boss, his representations while listened to with respect were productive of nothing. His employer simply said, that if he raised salaries to meet the present "high cost of living" he would be compelled to close up shop. Whan they receive the answer from the boss, the men vote to strike, much against Joel's advice, and although he liked his boss, Joel is with the majority and walks out with his fellows. A long period of lean days ensue. Joel's grandchildren and widowed daughter are starving. He is too proud to beg. He goes to the headquarters of the strikers and finds them all drinking and carousing. This is too much for Joel. He announces his intention of going back to work. One of the ironworkers calls him a coward. All of the old man's pent-up anger comes to the surface, and before he knows it, he has killed the insulter. The jury weeps at the old man's pathetic story; they cannot find heart to convict him.
- A naturally-told story of the 8-year-old daughter of a workman who is on strike. The mother falls sick and has no money in the house to buy medicine prescribed by the visiting doctor. The little girl, discovering this, starts out to sell her doll, and by a strange coincidence meets the owner of the factory where her father is on strike. She finally sells the doll to a storekeeper, but the employer, seeing her sad face and winsome way, immediately purchases the doll and returns it to her. The closing scenes of the strike and the intervention of the little girl preventing bloodshed bring about a happy sequel to a pathetic story.
- The laborers employed in a large factory are disgruntled with the treatment accorded them and decide to go on strike. Their employer receives their manifest with indifference; in fact he ignores their unreasonable demands. A mass meeting is held after the factory is stoned. The mob is considerably agitated by a labor union orator. He arouses them to such an extent that they vote to blow up the plant. One of the young factory workers is selected for the placing of the bomb. The men are desperate and are prepared to do anything. The night before the bomb is placed a meeting is held. Before the meeting proceedings are discussed in private at the home of Jack, the bomb placer. After the discussion, he and the agitators leave to attend the meeting. In going out, the agitator drops a lighted stub of a cigarette. About midnight Jack's house is in flames. His wife and child are caught in a trap. She telephones him and gets him in the midst of a tumultuous session. Jack drops everything and runs to rescue his loved ones from sure destruction. He knows that if the bomb, which is hidden in his house should explode his wife and child would stand no chance of being rescued. He hurries along. It is three miles to his house and not a conveyance in sight. Suddenly two big auto lamps show up in the distance. Jack motions wildly. The car glides up. To his surprise Jack sees his employer. The employer inquires of Jack the cause of his excitement. Jack explains, and soon they are away breaking speed laws, They arrive to see the house encircle in flames. The employer valiantly assists in the rescue work, while Jack dashes into a room full of smoke, gets the bomb and throws it out of the window into the street, where it explodes and fortunately does no harm. The employer wins Jack to his support and in winning Jack he also wins back the rest of his erstwhile dissatisfied men.
- Charles marries an actress against the wishes of his parents, and breaks with his family. His son eventually sees to the reconciliation of his father and grandfather.