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Thornton Darcy, an idealistic poet, is at work upon an allegorical poem which he calls "Virtue." He devotes the first part of it to picturing the idyllic state of the earth prior to the advent of evil in which Virtue is the world's guiding spirit. Virtue is represented by a nude female figure, artlessly adorned with filmy drapery. In the second part he introduces the Greek myth of Pandora, who releases Evil on the world. Finishing his work for the day, Darcy falls into a light doze and upon awakening discovers that his dream girl, Virtue, has come to life in the person of a young woman clad in a simple homemade dress kneeling on the bank of the stream gathering flowers. They become acquainted and he learns that her name is Purity Worth, and that she lives near the woods in a humble secluded home. She makes an instant appeal to Darcy as he does to her and they repeat the meeting in the woods, with the result that they fall in love and are engaged, in spite of the fact that there is no immediate prospect of marriage, owing to Darcy'e reduced circumstances. Darcy is unable to sell his poems, and the publisher will not print them for less than five hundred dollars. Claude Lamarque, a painter, strolling in the woods, sees Purity bathing in a stream. He later succeeds in meeting Purity and makes her an offer to pose for him. She refuses, but accepts his card. Purity receives word from Darcy that he is ill in bed and begging her to come with him. His final effort to publish his book of poems has met with refusal. Unselfishly seeking t aid him, she goes to Lamarque, secures five hundred dollars in advance with a promise to repay him by posing for him, and earning money from other artists, and at once turns the money over to the publisher to bring out Darcy's book. She binds the publisher to secrecy. Darcy is confined to his bed with a siege of illness, and is only saved from death by the happy turn. Purity guards from him the secret of her share in it. In the meantime, she poses regularly for Lamarque. Through his interest in her he secures an engagement for her to pose in imitation of marble statuary at a fete given by a fashionable young widow, Judith Lure. No sooner is Darcy's book published than it excites instant attention and praise, and he becomes the lion of the hour. In the meantime, Luston Black, an acquaintance of Lamarque, having caught a glimpse of Purity posing for the artist, has become infatuated with her. He assumes that because of her position as a model he will have an easy conquest. But Purity, despite her innocence, sense his base motives and spurns him. Darcy, accepting an invitation to visit Lamarque, comes into the studio while Black is pressing his attentions upon Purity. He thrashes Black, who taunts the poet with the fact that his fiancée is posing in the nude. Darcy will not believe it. Purity acknowledges the truth. Darcy will not listen to Purity's explanations and casts her off. A short time later the poet sees Lamarque's finished picture of "Virtue." Darcy is quick to read the great truth that the picture is intended to convey and upon learning that Purity was the instrument through which his poems were published, hastens to her. They are happily reunited.

Robert Sands, a sociologist, believes that there is good in all men irrespective of the depths to which they have fallen. To test his theory he picks up Jim Marsh, a social outcast, and installs him in his home as a servant. Mrs. Sands, a social butterfly, is skeptical of her husband's theories, and predicts that his experiment will fail. Jim finds and restores to her a piece of lost jewelry, but in spite of this, Mrs. Sands remains skeptical and treats him with continual distrust. In the course of events, Mrs. Sands loses heavily at bridge and gets into debt. Fearing to tell her husband, and dreading exposure, she surreptitiously takes money from his safe and is seen by Jim. When she has gone Jim enters the library and is puzzling over the matter when Sands enters unexpectedly and discovers him under suspicious circumstances. As Jim leaves the room Sands picks up a slip of paper from the floor bearing the safe combination. His wife, in her haste, had dropped it. Suspecting Jim, Sands opens the safe and discovers the money gone. Sick at heart, he goes to his wife and admits that his experiment has failed. By a supreme effort, Mrs. Sands conceals her guilt and is silent. Summoning Jim, Sands sadly charges him with the theft and tells him to leave the house. To shield the woman, Jim assumes the blame, but betrays the fact to Mrs. Sands that he knows of her guilt. When he is gone Mrs. Sands hastens guiltily to settle the card debt. Conscious-stricken and miserable, she is about to ring for admittance to the home of her friend when the door suddenly opens and Jim steps out. Shocked and amazed by his unexpected appearance, Mrs. Sands gets control of herself and coldly demands to know what he is doing there. Jim's explanation is simple. He had answered an ad "Butler Wanted," but had found upon applying that the position required good references. "I had none and they didn't want me." Stricken by the pathos of his explanation and awakened to a fresh realization of the wrong she had done him, Mrs. Sands repents of her act.

The sheriff's daughter learns to love Jack Caxton, but her father is very much displeased, as he wishes her to marry his young foreman. Learning that a large consignment is at the bank, the foreman visits the saloon in search of his pals and finding one of them, urges him to rob the bank. In effecting the holdup, the cashier puts up such a strong resistance that he is killed. A cowboy riding by notifies the sheriff, and taking the treacherous foreman with him, he starts on the trail of the bank robber. He sends the cowboys to search in another direction. Coming up with the robber, a brisk fight ensues and he is killed and the gold recovered. Knowing that the sheriff's daughter scorns him, and the lust for gold overcoming him, the foreman shoots the sheriff and steals the gold. He returns to the sheriff's house and tells the daughter that her father was wounded by the robber and had sent for her, his plan being to kidnap her and leave the country with the girl and the gold. Jack Caxton comes upon the sheriff and learns the truth. The sheriff dies and the posse coming up imagines he is guilty of the murder. He calls their attention to the approaching figures of the foreman and the sheriff's daughter. They hastily conceal themselves and hear the foreman map out his plans to the frightened girl. He is overpowered and led away by the posse and Caxton remains to comfort his grieving sweetheart.

Old Bob Langfall guarded two pretty daughters carefully. When Jim and Charley Bradley met them by accident, old Bob showed them the butt of his gun and bade them adieu. But Jim and Charley had a widowed mother, and old Bob was a widower.

Edward Longley, a bank cashier, and father of a son who gambles, lost heavily and appropriated some of the funds. But a clue betrayed him and he was imprisoned for twenty years. The twenty years pass, and Edward Longley comes from the prison a different man. He can find no trace of his wife and son. Longley seeks employment in vain, owing to his record, but finally secures a job sweeping the streets. While at work he is struck by an automobile and is taken to the chauffeur's home. When the injured man is brought in the chauffeur's mother recognizes in him her husband. She identifies herself and tells him that their son, Paul, is working in the same bank where the father was once cashier. She asks him not to reveal his identity to the son, lest the knowledge of the father and his guilt may hinder Paul's advancement. The father consents. Paul secures for Longley a job as night watchman in the bank. Naturally as the father was tempted to gamble so was the son. The events of twenty years previous were repeated, but Longley soon discovered the theft and returned to Paul that same night the clue that he had left behind. Then he waited and placed his trust in a higher power. His intention was to surrender himself, not that it did not matter, for it did, but that he could not endure to see his son suffer as he had suffered. His prayer was answered, for Paul returned the money before it was too late. When morning came Longley was gone, but a note left on Paul's desk told him the truth.

"Damaged Goods" pictures the terrible consequences of vice and the physical ruin that follows the abuse of moral law. It is a stirring plea for a pure life before marriage, in order to make impossible the transmission of unhealthy hereditary traits to future generations.

Billy and Jim are old friends, and rivals in love. Billy takes Marion Carroll to the theater and to supper afterwards. She orders and orders and keeps on ordering, until Billy finds that he hasn't enough money to foot the bill. Hearing his friend Jim's voice in the adjoining booth (which, however, Marion cannot hear from her side of the table), he excuses himself for a moment and goes to ask his rival for a loan. Jim is determined to drive a bargain instead. He says he'll pay for the supper if Billy will let him eat it and take Marion home. Reluctantly Billy consents. He fakes a phone call and hurries away. Jim takes Marion home in a taxi, and then is driven to his apartments. There he discovers that he cannot pay the driver. He is arrested and borne off to police headquarters, whence he phones Billy to come around and pay his fine. But Billy is sore. Instead, he calls up Marion and gives her the message. But little does he know the girl. She turns up at the station house just before him, drags poor dumbfounded Jim out before his eyes, bundles him into the taxi and whisks him off. Back in his rooms, Billy has a phone call, and Marion, in sweetest tones, announces, "So good of you to let me know. I got him, and we're engaged."

During a jewelry-store holdup, 6-year-old Millicent Hawthorne, the neglected daughter of a wealthy socialite, falls on her head and is carried home to be reared by Mother Gumpf, the leader of the thieves. The fall cost Millicent her memory, but at night she dreams of her former high-society existence, while during the day she works for Gumpf as a pickpocket and later becomes a cabaret dancer. A friend of the Hawthornes sees Millicent perform, recognizes her, and reports back to Mrs. Hawthorne, who has vowed to be a devoted mother should she ever find her daughter. Finally, after the Hawthornes rescue Millicent from Kraft, the lecherous cabaret manager, an operation restores her memory, and she delights in the love of her long-lost mother.

Rosney, as a young man, is jilted by the girl he loves, in favor of another. As years roll by he keeps an ever watchful eye over the welfare of the girl, Mary, at the same time achieving success that brings him to the attention of the outside world. When Mary's husband, failing to win success in the town, and losing the money saved for his son, Frank's college education, complains that no success can be won in Nazareth, and plans to go to the city. Rosney remembers the old saying "Can anything good come out of Nazareth." and attempts to dissuade him. He fails. Walter, the husband, sneaks away and is not heard from. Rosney, unbeknown to Mary, succeeds in replacing the missing college money, and her grief is tempered by the knowledge that Frank will get his college education. Frank returns from college and takes up some experiments which results in the discovery of a dyeing process much desired by Wilson, a large manufacturer of cloth. Frank, of course, does not know the value of his discovery. nor is Wilson aware of it, but Wilson visits Rosney with his daughter, Miriam, and an attachment springs up between Miriam and Frank. At this time definite news of the disgraceful death of her husband brought to Mary, and the shock results in serious illness. Just as she is getting better Miriam foolishly dares Frank to come to the city and make good. He takes the dare and leaves against his mother's pleas - an additional shock that brings a relapse. Frank, in the city with Miriam, receives word of his mother's condition and has his eyes opened to his selfishness, and, renouncing Miriam, he hurries home. Rosney, sensing Frank's trouble, explains to him through the immortal "mousetrap," saying he can win success in Nazareth as well as elsewhere, and, sure enough, a coat of Miriam's, left to be dyed, reveals to Wilson the existence of some better process. The threads are quickly gathered together, even Rosney receiving his reward when after years Mary looks up in his eyes with a new and greater love than she had ever known before.

Pedro wanted Paquita and her father seconded his suit. But Paquita was in love with Paul Hapgood, an American, and would not hear of it. She wrote to Paul and told him to take her away. He came and Paquita's father renounced her as his daughter forever. Grabbing a gun he bade them leave his estate. Then when they had gone, in replacing his pistol, it dropped, wounding him fatally. With his last strength, he wrote the truth on a slip of paper and placed it in the bible. The Mexicans, headed by Pedro, caught the pair and accused them. To save her lover, Paquita made the grand sacrifice and confessed to the killing. Then Paul stepped forward, and pushing his sweetheart aside, took the blame himself. They took him out to lynch him and Paquita fell on her knees to pray. Then she found her father's note which completely vindicated the lovers and put to shame the spiteful Pedro.

Lord Loveland in England is besieged by his creditors and consults his mother as to what he should do. He is advised to go to America and marry an heiress. He plans to sail on a certain ship, but at the eleventh hour changes his plans and departs on another vessel without informing his relatives of the change. Meanwhile, In England, his valet, annoyed at not having been paid a year's wages, impersonates Lord Loveland. At New York's most expensive hotel Lord Loveland discovers he has but forty cents in his pocket. He goes to bank and presents his letter of credit, but the bank determines that he is a bogus Lord and will not honor the draft. Disgusted, Lord Loveland returns to his hotel, where he finds he has no credit. He is ejected and his baggage is held in lieu of the bills he has already accumulated at the hostelry. Lord Loveland is alone in a strange world and with forty cents in his pocket. He applies to a friend for aid, but the friend, thinking the card presented is that of the bogus Lord Loveland. refuses to even see the visitor. Disheartened and disgusted, the nobleman betakes himself to Central Park, where through the thrilling rescue by Lord Loveland of a mongrel puppy, he forms a fast friendship with one Bill Willing, a likable old man out of work. Willing takes Lord Loveland to a cheap hotel where his forty cents is more than sufficient to procure two beds. In the morning he takes the English peer to a restaurant where in payment for meals, Willing draws artistic signs which advertise the day's tempting viands at Alex's restaurant. Lord Loveland, attired in evening clothes and monocle, has no trouble in getting employment as a waiter. He hopes thus to earn sufficient funds to pay his passage back to the dear old British Isles, but Tony Kidd, an enterprising New York reporter, learns of the monocled waiter and writes a story for his paper. Crowds come daily to Alex's restaurant to be waited on by this unique garcon. Among them is Leslie Dearmer, a woman playwright with whom Lord Loveland had become acquainted on shipboard. There is an explosion in the kitchen and the guests flee panic-stricken from Alex's restaurant. Lord Loveland becomes a hero when he extinguishes the blaze and causes the guests to return to their tables. Later, he loses his job through the apparent affection he has for Izzy, who is Alex's daughter. He takes up with a 10-20-30-cent troupe of theatrical players with whom he plays minor parts. Miss Dearmer seeks out the manager of Lord Loveland's troupe, intending to sue that individual for the use of one of her copyrighted plays. She calls and is surprised when her gaze meets that of the British nobleman. To her, the Lord relates his plight and she engages him as her chauffeur. The nobleman falls head over heels in love with his fair employer. The two are out for a spin when the Englishman summons up courage and declares his love. So ardent does he become in his proposal that he fails to heed the path his automobile is taking. The machine leaves the road, crashes into a tree and both occupants are thrown violently from their seats. When consciousness returns, Miss Dearmer is in Lord Loveland's arms, and the two plight their troth. The tide of Lord Loveland's fortunes have turned, By a combination of circumstances, he becomes recognized as the real Lord Loveland and he is restored to the position which is rightfully his. Henceforth, all is love and happiness and the nobleman has no desire again to see dear old Britain's shores.

Dad is a flirt, and mother, for this reason, keeps an ever-watchful eye. The family goes to the beach for a day's outing. Bobby first nearly kills a man by jumping on his stomach and is severely punished. He then looks for other fields to conquer. Strolling to a secluded spot on the pier, he finds a barrel, and gets an idea. He pushes the barrel into the water, throws his hat near the spot where the barrel sank, shouts for help and then hides under a bench, viewing the excitement he has caused. Mother finally discovers the culprit and administers another whipping. She rushes him to where she and father have been sitting and insists that he stay there with them. He is good as long as possible, likewise father. A young lady chanced along and stands near the sheltering umbrella. Bobby and dad discover the trim foot and ankle. Trouble ensues. Bobby is again punished, but not until he has divulged dad's duplicity as well. Mother decides that a governess is the only cure for Bobby, and dad chuckles inwardly at the prospect. Jimmy wires that he is returning, and bringing home a pleasant surprise. He leaves his surprise (his bride) at the home of her aunt until a welcome can be assured. Jimmy learns of the governess idea, and decides to work Mary in as Bobby's caretaker. The scheme works out admirably until both dad and Jimmy are caught showering her with attentions. A compromising situation arises and causes mother to attempt to discharge the governess, when Jimmy makes known the fact that she is his surprise and the story has a happy ending.

Ikey Rosenthal finds peddling a bum business in Wyoming. Consequently he is highly elated when John Darrow, foreman of the 'X Bar' outfit, offers him a job punching cows. He is fitted out at the ranch in chaps, spurs, sombrero, etc., and feels that he is a regular cowboy. On his first appearance in his new outfit the boys work their game of gun music on him and, in this instance, are treated to a genuine Yiddisher dance. Ikey is very angry, but bides his time until he can even up the score. He learns the work on the ranch and one day succeeds in roping a cow, thinking he has roped a steer. Payday the boys follow their time-honored custom and go to town to celebrate. Ikey, however, with true business instinct, remains at the ranch and, during the cowboy's absence, gets out his old peddling pack and sets up a pawn shop in a corner of the ranch yard. The boys return from town broke and when Ikey shows them his pawn shop they decide to 'hock' their guns. Ikey gets possession of every gun on the ranch and then starts to do a little shooting himself. The boys scatter at his approach and the Yiddisher cowboy is monarch of all he surveys.

Ward and Clyde Kingsley are twin brothers whose resemblance is so much alike that even close friends find it hard to distinguish between then. Ward loved Agnes Pendelton, an heiress, but because he feared the world would say that he married her for her money, he gave her up and went away. His brother, Clyde, not burdened with such fine feelings, but a dissolute character at heart, eventually marries Agnes. As the story opens they are living in California and Agnes' fortune has been squandered by the irresponsible Clyde. With Steve Mercer, a disreputable friend of many years, Clyde plots to insure his life for $100,000 and after he has arranged for a corpse for the occasion, to disappear and have his wife, Agnes, collect the insurance, later dividing the ill-gotten gains with Mercer. Agnes revolts at the gruesome plan and denounces him as a scoundrel. Later on she pays her respects to Mercer, who has always looked upon her with lustful eyes. Just at this time Agnes receives a letter from Clyde's twin brother Ward, now in a New York hospital, that he is given up to die and informing them that this is his last message and blessing. Clyde immediately goes east, ostensibly to consult a specialist, and requests Agnes to give out the information that his heart is troubling him. Arriving in New York, he visits Ward, and much against the latter's finer feelings and on the plea that it is for the good of Agnes, he induces Ward to go west to die and be buried as Clyde. Under the ministrations of Agnes, Ward recovers eventually, and the anxious Clyde, waiting in New York, receives word to that effect. Later, Ward writes him that he may now return, as he, Ward, is leaving California. The old attachment between Ward and Agnes has grown up afresh, and they make ready to part, with breaking hearts. In the meantime, Steve Mercer and a female nemesis, who has been following Clyde for years, plot to put Ward out of the way. He is to be lured to a lonely spot and thrown over the cliff. Clyde, however, gains secret entrance to his own home, and witnessing an affectionate scene between Ward and Agnes and misinterpreting their relations, fells Ward with a blow and escapes thinking he has killed him. He rushes to the ambush to tell Steve and Beth that he has killed Ward. They mistake him for Ward and the fate intended for Ward is visited upon Clyde, Mercer shooting him. As he falls over the cliff he clutches Beth and drags her with him. Ward is slowly recovering when Mercer rushes to the house to tell Agnes that Ward has been killed and that Clyde is his murderer. Thinking that no further barrier can be imposed between him and the accomplishment of his desire, he seizes Agnes and rains kisses upon her unwilling lips. Weak as he is, Ward rises from the couch and attacks Mercer. The latter seizes the desk phone and is about to brain Ward when the butler fires, killing Mercer instantly. Agnes faints in the arms of Ward. A later scene shows the happy bride and groom at last.

In the year 100 A.D., Trajanus was emperor of Rome. He was one of the great emperors of that period, and one of the great works by which he beautified Rome is known as the Column of Trajan. The emperor had prepared a "Triumph," as the ceremony was known in those days and the victims of his conquest were marched in Rome to the throne. Among them is seen Decebalus, Prince of Dacia, and his mother, Queen of Dacia. The Emperor promises the Prince his freedom if he will swear allegiance to Rome. He hesitates, but the Queen says: "In Dacia we are royal and shall not be vassals to Rome." The Emperor is angered and sends them to the dungeons of the Circus Maxims to await their fate in the arena. The arena is prepared, the Emperor is in the imperial box and all is ready for the conflict of the gladiators. At last Decebalus is told he must go in the arena and fight. He asks: "With whom?" A Dacian is pointed out to him. He says: "Why, he is of Dacia, and therefore my brother." Notwithstanding, he is forced out and we see them in the arena before the imperial box saluting the Emperor. They fight and the Dacian is thrown to the ground in battle. Decebalus does not wound him, and when he appeals to the Emperor and the court for their decision, the Emperor show by the word "Habet" and the downward turning of the thumb that death is his portion. Decebalus raises his sword as if to kill, but with the other hand extended to the Dacian, they leap from the arena into the imperial box and are about to kill Trajan, but Decebalus is made prisoner by the centurions in attendance on the Emperor. He again escapes and is brought before the Emperor just as the word is brought that the Huns have invaded Rome. Decebalus volunteers to fight the invaders and is victorious. When offered a reward he demands his mother's freedom, which is granted. Trajan also gives him Octavia to wed and restores him to his own country.

Marion Moore's sweetheart, Frank Kenyon, a young author interested in social reform, discovering that Marion's father is the owner of the worst factory in the city, pleads with her to persuade him to make better working conditions. Marion refuses. The season's society event is an entertainment for the benefit of the Belgian War Victims. Marian is to play "Humanity." That day, Mina, a child working in the factory, has her hand mangled in a machine. Frank learns of the accident from Bud and determines to bring the lesson home to Marian. He bribes her chauffeur to drive Marian to Mina's home. Marian is forced to enter the house with him. They find Mina alone and almost unconscious from an overdose of an opiate. The only hope of saving the child is by keeping her awake until he can summon medical aid. He orders Marian to walk the girl until he returns. Then he dashes away in the machine. Marian, seeing another machine approaching, leaves the child, and persuades the owner to drive her to the entertainment. When Frank returns, Mina is past saving. Wild with rage, he sets out for the entertainment. Marian has just achieved a great success when he arrives. He creates a sensation by mounting the platform and scathingly denouncing the shallow society people before him. Marian later hands him back his ring. He drives her by force to Mina's home. Marian is taken aback when she discovers that the animal mother is not weeping for love of Mina, but she wonders how she will ever pay for a cheap piano now that Mina's wages will no longer be forthcoming. Marian promises to attend to the payments. Marian laughs scornfully at Frank. Frank determines to wage a relentless war against Moore until conditions are modified. As champion of the working people, he is elected to the legislature. Frank introduces his bill for better factories. After much excitement, it is passed. Since the accident to Mina, Bud has been working to perfect a number of safety devices. With the idea of cheating the boy, Moore goes with him to a cabinet at one end of the building to look them over. Meanwhile a blaze has started. Soon the flimsy structure is ablaze. Marian escapes with the girls, hut Moore and Bud are trapped in the cabinet. From the roof of an adjoining building Frank throws a rope to the factory, where it fastens around a cornice. Then he makes his way hand over hand across the rope to the burning building, breaks through a skylight, and lowers a rope to Bud. Moore shoves the boy aside. Frank, angered, lowers the rope again for Bud. Moore rushes to the edge of the building. But as he hangs midway, the flames reach the rope, and he plunges to his death. A few weeks later the newspapers announce large gifts to charity from an anonymous source. Through Bud he discovers that it is Marian. The picture closes as she agrees to face the future with him.

Old Captain Blount, having retired from the sea, has taken his abode among the fishermen on the coast to stay near the ocean. He had been a tyrannical captain, and now no longer having a crew to dominate, he tries to direct his two daughters' lives in the same manner. Among the young fishermen, Bob Newcomer has found favor with the old "salt" and when he expresses a desire to marry the captain's older daughter Martha, the father tells her to prepare to wed the fisherman. Upon a cliff ranch, two young cowboys, Jack Woomer and Pete Neville, are employed. They met Martha and Mabel Blount and learned to love them. Bob Newcomer discovers this and notifies the old captain. Together, they interrupt one of the meetings and the father upbraids his daughters. But the cowboys are not resourceless. They go to the village where they secure licenses and await the arrival of the circuit-riding minister, who makes periodical trips in the vicinity. On the day of his arrival they secure his service, call the girls, and are married in the open air. Newcomer has been watching and hurries to the captain to tell him his daughters have gotten married. Pete Neville and his bride start down to procure the irate father's forgiveness; Newcomer raises his gun and kills the young bridegroom. Startled at the sound of firing, Jack Woomer and his new wife hurry down and come upon the tragedy. Newcomer and the captain have called a number of fishermen, who take Martha from her young husband by force and promise him the same fate that Neville received if he ever comes that way again. Woomer returns to the ranch and calls on the cattlemen to return with him and avenge their pal's death. They start for the beach and are soon engaged in conflict. Mabel, crazed with grief over her husband's death, wanders away to the treacherous rocks in the ocean. While the conflict is on, Martha sees her husband on the cliffs and hurries to him, followed by the ever-watchful Newcomer. Woomer and Newcomer fight and Woomer succeeds in throwing his adversary over the cliffs. Reunited, the husband and wife return to her father's home and put an end to the useless warfare, but they are too late. The old captain had fought his last fight and they find him lying in the doorway. Sick at heart they wander towards the beach, seeking Mabel and at an ebb tide they find her where the treacherous ocean had thrown her, for she has gone to join her husband in the land beyond.

John Montgomery, young, rich and of fine family, is eagerly sought after by the elite of old San Francisco. He and Ellie Fenwick meet for a moment at a hall, and are mutually attracted. Montgomery's impulsiveness and generosity cause him to fall an easy prey to Willie Felton, leader of a fast set, who introduces the young man to Martin Rood's gambling house. Rood, seeing in Montgomery a lamb to be shorn, quickly fleeces him of a large part of his fortune and then persuades him to invest the rest in a bogus mining deal. The young San Franciscan finds himself penniless. Meanwhile, he has met Carlotta Valencia, mistress of Rood, who develops for Montgomery the first real affection she has ever felt for any man. He is infatuated with her beauty and cleverness, and when he begins to hear evil stories against her, he stoutly defends this Spanish woman of doubtful arts. Montgomery's own reputation is sullied because of his associates, and only Ellie Fenwick continues to have faith in his inherent nobility. She believes Montgomery more sinned against than sinning. Her father, however, will not permit her to have anything to do with the man she loves. Montgomery, denied the companionship of the one woman who might have redeemed him, turns for consolation to Carlotta. One morning early, Ellie is returning from the market to prepare a birthday breakfast for her father. Passing Rood's gambling house, she hears a pistol shot. Through the swinging doors of the bar-room, the proprietor of the resort falls out dead. Montgomery, with a smoking revolver in his hand, leaps out after him, and the next instant, flinging away the weapon, has fled. Ellie, panic-stricken, hurries home, where she tells her father and District Attorney Dingley what she has seen. Nobody else has witnessed the incident, and Ellie, violently against her own will, is obliged to serve as chief witness for the state. Carlotta lures the girl to her house and tries to bribe her into silence. When this fails, she attempts to induce her to drink a cup of poisoned wine. Ellie, however, is on her guard. Her father has made her feel that it is her duty to God and to society to testify against the man she loves. Montgomery is convicted of the murder. As he is leaving the courthouse a band of Mexican horsemen, hirelings of Carlotta, enact his rescue. He and the Spanish woman plot to flee the country together. A chance meeting with Ellie, however, causes Montgomery to resolve to leave the city alone and start life over again. He writes Carlotta his intention. Ellie is driving him in her carriage to the borders of the town when both are arrested by the sheriff's posse. The girl flees, taking refuge in Carlotta's house. She finds the beautiful Spaniard sitting erect in a chair, dead. A written confession in her own hand reveals that it was she who murdered Rood. Later, Perez, Carlotta's servant, corroborates the story, throwing light on Montgomery's heroism in shielding the guilty woman. Montgomery is exonerated. He begins life anew, with Ellie as his wife.

George Field and Winnifred Greenwood are the players in this excellent little comedy. The story is of a young lawyer who is overworked, and who has found it necessary to have an assistant. It happens that the assistant and his sister move next door to his home while they are still strangers to him. He proceeds to fall in love with the girl, imagines her brother is her husband, and has a pleasant awakening when the new assistant and his sister present themselves at the office.

The road to ruin was dismal and dreary and strewn with failures. On a great boulder, head sunk in hands, sat Jim Hathaway, when the bent figure of John Radway entered. They fell to talking and Jim soon learned that a faithless woman had pointed the way to the road to ruin for Radway. He went in search of her when Radway told him that his wife had deserted him for another. Jim saw her in the garden - saw her kiss her affinity and after he had gone, turned to the garden gate to admit a younger man. Jim, knife in hand, sped down the path, touched the older man upon the shoulder and led him back to where the younger man and the woman were wrapped in each others' arms. With a gasp of horror, his companion broke away and confronted her. She merely laughed - and, bent and broken, like the man he had destroyed before him, he turned away toward the road to ruin. Then Jim sought out that younger man and warned him and he, wiser than most of his kind, bade farewell forever to the faithless woman. Alone, she turned about and started with hesitating steps toward the road to ruin - and all the wrecks that strewed that dreary way smiled as she entered.

After Helen's husband dies, her father John Thorpe, who had always disapproved of the marriage, puts her young daughter in an orphanage and tells Helen that the girl has died. Fifteen years later, the girl, Faith, becomes a servant in John's house, but neither she nor the old man know of their relationship. Meanwhile, John's young stepdaughter Laura becomes pregnant, but her boyfriend refuses to marry her. To pay for an abortion, Laura steals money from John and persuades Faith to take the blame. In court, however, lawyer Mark Strong proves that Faith is innocent, and also reveals the real story of her past, thereby reuniting her with her mother.

Every town has its troublemaker, and the view the neighbor has from behind lace curtains is often strangely distorted. Herbert Spencer and his wife Lillian have two such neighbors who very nearly cause trouble for the young couple. Lillian goes away on a few days' visit with her mother. Herbert, as a surprise for her, invests in a dressmaker's form that she has been wanting. He has the form delivered to his home, but intercepts the drayman in the parkway leading to his house, escorts it to the door. To be cute, he dresses the form with one of his wife's wrappers. From their windows the neighbors see him with the strange woman entering his house; they scent a scandal and try to find out more. In the morning they see Herbert go off alone, so rush over to his house to investigate. Receiving no answer to repeated knocking, they peer through the window and to their great horror, they see a figure on the couch covered with a shawl where Herbert has left it. Scandalized, they decide to write to Lillian, hinting at strange goings-on. When Lillian receives the letter from her neighbors she is mentally disturbed and with her mother immediately returns to her home. At the sight of her husband her anger subsides and she would have be en pleased to fall in his embrace, but the stern mother reminds her that things are not as they used to be and poor Herbert gets a brutal rebuke. In the house the figure on the couch first causes consternation, then amusement. The neighbors call to offer their sympathy, meet with a stern rebuke, and depart with dampened spirits.

Ned Kerr and his step-brother Joe, lived with their mother. Mrs. Kerr, and all seemed happy enough except for the friction between the boys in the matter of loving Jane Samuels, the local express agent's daughter. To Joe it seemed that Jane cared more for Ned and his heart was sad. The two boys were rival candidates for the office of sheriff and after the election Joe is given three cheers as the new sheriff. Ned's frame of mind is anything but pleasant. Joe desires to reign in favor of Ned, but this is not sanctioned by the manager. Ned gives way to his bitter disappointment, discards the love of Jane, and leads a life of dissipation. In an intoxicated condition he is made the scapegoat for a hold-up of the express agent and he would have an awful time to prove himself innocent. So Joe furnished him with fund to start a new start in an unknown territory and then Joe gives himself up as the perpetrator of the crime. The express agent, however, vehemently denies this, as he is confident he can identify his assailants, one of whom is brought at this moment. Jane is pleased with the conduct of Joe and when their eyes meet, each reach in the expression of the other the evidence of true love.

Immediate Lee, employed on the ranch owned by one Masters, is discharged by the manager through the influence of one of his men, who is in the brand blotting game with Masters. Beulah, a dance-hall girl, has attracted the attention of Hurley, a brand blotter, but prefers Lee. Hurley entraps Lee and cuts his mouth open with a wide gash, which leaves a permanent scar. Lee vows vengeance and follows the man all over the country. He at last meets him face to face, but Hurley is saved by the intercession of Beulah. He later is killed in a fierce encounter. The brand blotters are discovered and punished by the aid of Immediate Lee, and Beulah receives the reward of loyalty and devotion by becoming Lee's wife.

A faithful, devoted husband accidentally kills a man. The sentence of the court consigns him to a long term in prison. The picture swings to the wife--alone, faithful, struggling to support herself and child, and beset by an old-time suitor. The suitor nearly wins--and then something happens. What and how makes an exceptionally fine reel that will appeal strongly to the sympathies of your audience.