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- The boob is working in a country grocery store. One day, a farmer gets in an argument with him. Words lead to a fight and the farmer chases the boob out and up the street. In his endeavor to escape be jumps into an auto driven by a girl from the city who lives near the store. The girl assists him to escape. In the girl the boob sees the girl of his dreams, but in him the girl sees merely a boob. A traveling show comes to town and advertises for extra people for their show. The boob applies and gets the job. After several blunders he gets his part and comes out on the stage. The girl and her father are in the audience and see the boob make an ass of himself. A fire breaks out in the theater during which there is a stampede for the exits. The girl is left in the burning theater. Her father tries to save her but cannot face the flames. The boob rushes in and saves the girl's life. Shortly afterward, the girl and her father leave for the city and leave a note for the boob. The girl tells him that if he ever comes to the city to be sure and call upon her. Enclosed in the note he finds a check from her father telling him to use his own judgment in disposing of the money, but he would suggest that he use it in getting an education. The girl in the city grows tired of society life and longs for a real man. The shallow life and selfishness of the people she comes in contact with disgusts her. The boob has taken the girls advice and secured a college education. He returns to her rejuvenated and she is very much surprised at the change in him. The boob has indeed become another man. With the development of his mind, his character and even looks have changed. In him the girl sees all that she has been wishing for.
- A woman is in love with a dashing Army lieutenant, but her father refuses to consent to give him her hand. The daughter appeals to her father's patriotism, but when he fails to relent, declares her own independence.
- Vera Ronceval has been brought up in seclusion by her father, Amos Ronceval, a recluse. One day she meets Orthen Owen, an artist, and they fall in love. When Amos learns of this, he forbids Arthen to see his daughter, and in his rage suffers an attack of heart disease. Dying, he commits Vera to the care of her cousin, Mr. Ronceval, a lawyer. Mr. Ronceval takes Vera away with him to his city home. Arthen, unable to find further trace of Vera, falls upon evil ways, neglecting his art and finding forgetfulness in dissipation. Reduced to poverty, he makes a contract with Lee Varick, famous as an artist, whereby Arthen is to paint pictures, signing Varick's name to them. Varick has acquired his reputation by this traffic in the work of others. In the meantime, Vera has been living with her cousin, Mr. Ronceval, who is a friend of Varick's, and who greatly desires a match between Varick and Vera, Although Vera has never forgotten Arthen, she has, to please her cousin, conditionally consented to an engagement with Varick. One day Vera meets Arthen in his fallen condition, and learning the story of his fall, she tells him that she still loves him, and that she will break off her engagement with Varick. At the same time Arthen, obtaining a new lease upon his manhood, seeks Varick out to return the check just given him for the sale of his name and work to Varick. Vera calls upon Varick, tells him that she knows of his mode of obtaining fame and that she will not marry him. Varick, believing that he has her in his power, attempts to commit an assault upon her. Just then, Arthen, on his way to return Varick's check, hears Vera's cries for help and breaks into Varick's studio. He knocks Varick down and rescues Vera. He then takes her to her cousin, who, upon learning the whole story, gives his consent to the marriage of Vera and Arthen.
- A little boy and his beloved puppy find themselves in and out of mischief.
- Dean Griswold, a banker and a loving father, has become involved in speculation and lost his private fortune. He is in the midst of a gripping market campaign when his daughter, Jean, and his young cashier, Williamson, reach the most beautiful part of their courtship. Jean, a girl of romantic disposition, has absorbed the spirit of romance from the books she has been reading. She worships the chivalry and gallantry of the ancient knights. She insists that her sweetheart, Williamson, shall make a modern knight of himself and seek his Grail, pledging herself to marry him when he has found it. Williamson accepts the charge and before the tapestries of "The Grail," she dubs him her knight. She gives him a knot of ribbon as her favor and he goes out into the world to conquer sin and relieve distress. He learns of her father's embarrassment and as his first sacrifice he gives the banker his entire personal fortune to help him out of his difficulties. But this money is absorbed by the hungry "market" and the father, in a moment of weakness, yields to a temptation and uses additional funds from the bank. He is ruined and about to destroy himself when the youthful knight discovers him, saves his life, assumes the blame for the shortage and disappears, asking only that the father explain his sacrifice to his daughter and protect his love. The bank breaks, and with the scandal made public, Griswold has not the heart to confess to his daughter. He allows her to believe that Williamson was, in reality, an absconder and she puts him out of her heart. Eventually all the characters go west to renew their fortunes or forget their griefs. They meet at a dry water-hole in the desert. The father, almost crazed by thirst and unable to go further, is left by his daughter while she seeks aid, and during her absence the hero arrives. Embittered by what he considers the duplicity of the father, he gloats over his sufferings and refuses him a drink of water, until the old spirit of knighthood is brought back to him in an impressive manner. The denouement, the regeneration and the discovery of "The Grail" form a strong climax.
- Nan Brenner is a toiler in one of the large department stores. Her mother, built on a large scale physically, virtually overawes the household. Her husband, failing to make a living in the past, she has taken in washing and forces him to do the labor. As a compensation for his work she gives him ten cents on every dollar that she makes. This sum immediately goes to swell the funds of the liquor trust. Jimmy Ford is a shipping clerk in a large wholesale house. Every evening he catches the car as it comes through the wholesale district and as the crowds usually get on downtown he always has a seat. He has noticed Nan many times and has offered his seat many times. She refuses each time. One rainy day he goes through the same routine and while waiting for Nan to take the seat, a laborer slips into it. Jimmy expostulates and a fight ensues, in which Jimmy throws the laborer out. Nan is weary and thankfully sinks into the disputed seat. When Nan goes to get off, she notices Jimmy has left his umbrella in the seat and takes it to him. He gets off with her and offers to share the umbrella with her. She at first refuses, and then reluctantly agrees. Jimmy gets a promise from Nan that she will go with him for a walk through the park the coming Sunday. At last the long awaited day arrives and the two lighthearted young folks set out. Passing several of her acquaintances. Nan hears them remark that she has a "steady." Near the zoo they see a poor drunken sot who is being baited by a crowd of boys. Nan, with horror, realizes it is her father. Jimmy, not knowing him, takes pity on him and runs the boys off and offers to take him home. Nan tells him it is her father and he tells to go on ahead that he will bring him home. Nan thinks her newly-found romance is over, for when they arrive home, Jimmy will see her home life as it really is. When Jimmy arrives home with the old man, his wife abruptly jerks him out of Jim's hands without even a word of thanks for his kindness. Nan has gone to her room and thrown herself sobbing upon the bed. As Jimmy starts to leave, he hears her and timidly knocks on her door. She bids him enter and he bashfully tells her that they had better go back and finish the rest of the peanuts he purchased. Out in the park later is found a young couple. The girl is shaking with sobs, while her protector has his arms around her vainly trying to soothe her. At last she raises her head and looks searchingly at him. Satisfied with her scrutiny, she surrenders into his eager embarrassed arms and as the story ends Jimmy takes his toll of kisses.
- The Pokes and Jabbs families, neighbors, live across the hall from each other in the same apartment house. The fearless Mr. Pokes is very much bossed by his wife, a suffragette, while Mr. Jabbs is the ruler in his own home. Mrs. Jabbs has just been presented with a new coat by her husband, and. meeting Mr. Pokes in the hall, asks his opinion of it. While Pokes is admiring the coat, his wife, hearing his voice in the hall, peers through the keyhole and mistakes his admiration of the coat for affection for Mrs. Jabbs. Jabbs, at the same time, also hearing voices in the hall, looks through the keyhole and decides to punish Pokes for his familiarity with his wife. Jealousy is aroused in both families and Jabbs and his wife quarrel, the result of which is that she leaves to go to her mother. Mrs. Pokes leaves home to attend a suffragette meeting and Jabbs, learning of a mask ball, persuades Pokes to go as his escort. Jabbs dresses as a woman. Arriving at the ball, they learn that the ball has been postponed. Disgustedly, they start toward home. A policeman gives them quite a chase, but they elude him by dodging into a saloon. The kindly bartender gets in wrong by offering his services and when they beat a hasty exit through the side door, they are confronted by another policeman. Pokes gets rid of him in a peculiar fashion. after several mishaps they arrive home. Jabbs has forgotten his keys. Pokes, becoming brave immediately, offers to put him up for the night. They proceed to retire without removing their clothes. The suffragette meeting being over, Mrs. Pokes returns. A horrible discovery meets her gaze upon entering her bedroom. Jabbs, in female attire, occupies her bed. Wild with rage, she rushes to the Jabbs apartment to inform Mr. Jabbs of his wife's actions. Jabbs, hearing the clatter on the door, beats it out the window to the fire escape. About this time. Mrs. Jabbs returns repentant. Entering her own apartment, she sees a woman lying on the couch and fails to recognize it as her husband. With a piercing shriek, she rushes to the hallway and faints. Jabbs again aroused, makes his exit through the window, and for the fire escape to the Pokes' apartment, begging Mr. Pokes to hide and protect him. Mrs. Pokes arrives on the scene and Jabbs makes for the hallway, but in so doing leaves his skirt clutched in the hand of Mrs. Pokes. Explanations follow, and what at first appeared to be a horrible catastrophe, turns out an innocent prank.
- Jiggs is informed that he will win a large fortune if he marries a certain girl, the choice of a dead relative, whom he has never seen. He is called away on business, however, and carelessly leaves the letter lying on a table. Even while he is on the way to the station to answer a business call, a wire arrives, stating the young lady is on her way. The butler, finding the "fortune" letter, also gets the telegram, and decides to impersonate his master, and cop the heiress. The young lady arrives and the butler gets busy at once. He has figured without reckoning, however, for the cook, a lady of proportions, is deeply in love with him, and she promises to interfere with his love making. He dumps her into the coal bin with little ceremony. The chauffeur, finding the note, also gets "wise," and attempts to get the heiress for himself. A terrible mixup follows when the cook frees herself from the coal bin and proceeds to vent her wrath on the chauffeur, the butler and the wealthy young lady, as well. After various desperate combats, Jiggs arrives in time to save his affianced bride from a very embarrassing situation, and to kick his three faithless servants out into the cold world, where they land in a still colder water fountain, their ardor sadly dampened, and their longing for an heiress completely drowned.
- With the help of futuristic technical inventions, a private detective investigates a bizarre murder case involving mysterious messages delivered in a small black box by the killer.
- Jeanne Doré's profligate husband is hopelessly addicted to gambling, and is threatened with expulsion from his club because of his heavy indebtedness to another gambler member. Confessing his disgrace to his wife (Mme. Bernhardt), she offers to save him from disgrace by selling her jewels. With the money thus obtained he goes to his club, determined to pay his debts and live up to the pledge he has made to his wife to gamble no more. However, the lure of the roulette wheel overcomes his resolve; he loses all his money on "just one more turn of the wheel," and rather than face his disgrace, commits suicide. Left with her young son to support, Jeanne Doré is forced to sell her remaining possessions and live as best she can until her husband's uncle takes pity upon her and buys for her a small stationery shop in Paris. Here mother and son prosper until the boy reaches early manhood. One day he falls suddenly and violently in love with a married woman, who comes to his mother's shop to make purchases. An intrigue with the unscrupulous female leads the young man to murder the same uncle who had befriended himself and mother. The youth, with the assistance of Jeanne Doré, makes good his escape. Well clear of immediate capture, the boy comes back to the scene of his crime and succeeds in his efforts to once more affect a liaison with his mistress. By accident he is discovered and captured, thrown into jail, is tried and convicted of the murder and sentenced to the guillotine. Even in these desperate straits he seeks to gain some response to his affection for the woman, who promptly spurned and repudiated him. He prevails upon his devoted mother to become a messenger in his service and her appeals, likewise, fall upon deaf ears. Instead of telling the boy that her quest has been fruitless, Jeanne Doré goes to the prison herself, on the evening before the boy's neck is to be given to the knife, and poses as the woman he had expressed himself, to his own mother, as the one he most wished to see. The boy goes to the guillotine, and the final scene depicts the devoted mother in the extreme agony of watching, from a window across the street, the execution of her son.
- A squire's son and a miner's son join the Scouts and foil a gypsy spy supplying petrol to U-boats.
- Shultz has a stomach ache. He goes to Doc for relief, and Doc prescribes a tonic. It is to be taken in teaspoonful doses, but after leaving the office, Shultz's continued stomach ache and his liking for the tonic leads him to thrown the spoon away and tackle the contents of the bottle without heed to consequences. He happens to meet the consul from France, who is out strolling with his wife. Shultz's actions towards the latter's pretty wife arouse the ire of the hot-blooded ambassador and he challenges Shultz to a duel to be fought the next dawn. He does not even take it seriously when he later meets the consul from Russia, who also is out for a stroll with his wife. Again Shultz is challenged to fight at dawn. He goes home in a mighty hilarious condition and dreams. In his dreams he meets the clever foreign duelists, and decidedly gets the worst of the fray. He awakens and, finding the consul's cards, breaks out into a horrible sweat of apprehension. He calls on the doctor to help him out of the mess. The doctor promises to do his best. The next morning, bright and early, they go to the proposed meeting place, and hide under the dirt and fallen leaves, a metal mat that is connected to a hidden spot behind a nearby bush by a powerful electrical shocking device. When the hot-blooded foreigners put in their appearance and take their places in succession before the composed, nonchalant Shultz, they prove their ability very nicely, but the fatal stab never takes place. The doctor, from his point of vantage, merely presses the button and the powerful electrical current does the rest.
- Mr. Crabb has a wife who is addicted to flirting. A young novelist receives a letter from a woman admirer who signs herself Alice R., and who makes an appointment with him in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. The novelist and Alice R. start out to keep the appointment. As a stranger passes the apartment house of Mr. and Mrs. Crabb, the latter flirts with him; whereupon Mr. Crabb who has seen the action, sets out with his wife to make an example of the stranger. Meanwhile, Alice R. has arrived at the park with the novelist. Mr. Crabb has a fight with the stranger and is knocked down for his pains. The Crabbs continue on and go for a stroll in the park. The novelist mistakes the wife of Mr. Crabb for Alice R. and speaks to her. Mrs. Crabb in the meantime has been flirting with another man and her husband goes for a policeman. The novelist and Mrs. Crabb chat for a few moments and then the latter suddenly leaves him on seeing her husband in the distance. Alice R., who has been taking a glass of soda, leaves the fountain and comes upon the novelist. The latter is doubly surprised to meet her. Mr. and Mrs. Crabb become separated and Mr. Crabb mistakes Alice R. for his wife. Several amusing situations follow in rapid succession, in which Mr. Crabb is nearly arrested. Husband and wife return home, while the novelist again meets Alice R. and tells her that she was the inspiration for his novel.
- A framed inventor flees to England and catches a spy at Epsom.
- Widow Craige has twin sons. Bob is self-sacrificing and the main support of his mother. His twin, Harry, is the opposite type, one who frequents the beer halls and public dances. In one of his drunken orgies Harry starts an argument with an associate over a girl. His friend is accidentally shot with his own gun. Harry, believing himself a murderer, flees from the city. The news of this killing causes the death of the mother. Years pass by and Bob, with his savings, leaves for the west to try ranching. His sweetheart and her mother he leaves behind, with the promise that he will send for them shortly. Meantime Harry, having gone from bad to worse, has joined a band of outlaws. Circumstances bring him near his brother's ranch, with the sheriff hot upon his trail. Bob is arrested by mistake and made a prisoner in the county jail. Harry, having seen the arrest, decides to impersonate Bob and take possession of his ranch. This he does and he even goes so far as to receive the sweetheart and her mother, who arrive from the east several days following. But something tells the girl that all is not well, and she seeks the advice of the sheriff. There is an investigation, which results in the confession and death of Harry. Bob comes into his own shortly afterward.
- Eddie, tired of club life, decides to bid his friends good-bye and go to the mountains to lead the simple life for a while. Victoria longs to be an authoress and studiously reads her book on "How to Become an Author." From that volume she learns that she should study in real life the types about which she desires to weave her story. Determined to write a story around a mountaineer type, she coaxes her father to take her on a trip to a mountain resort, which he finally is prevailed upon to do. One day while in search of her big idea, Victoria happens upon Eddie as he sits in borrowed rough clothes fishing in a quiet stream. She knows at once that she has found her character. He thinks her crazy, but finally, learning her true object, decides to teach her a lesson. He takes his father's friend into his confidence and they plan a joke. Next Victoria finds her hero waiting for her. In order to learn more of his character, she indulges in a little love-making. Later they are together when the other party comes upon them. He claims to be Eddie's father and accuses the city girl with endeavoring to corrupt his innocent son and says that nothing but a marriage can square matters. Victoria protests in vain and a mock marriage is performed in all seriousness. Victoria makes her escape finally, and rushing back to the resort hotel, tells her father of what has occurred. Her father refuses to believe her at first, but finding that she is serious about it, gets a gun and sets out to get Eddie and his supposed father. Eddie has decided by this time that the joke has gone far enough and, donning his own clothes, repairs to the hotel to call upon Victoria and explain all. On the way he meets her father, but neither knows the other. Eddie meets Victoria and explains his little joke in such a way that their friendship becomes stronger than ever. He then returns to the cabin and explains that the joke has gone far enough and that he has explained all to Victoria. The surprise comes, however, when in the presence of Victoria, the friend of Eddie's father explains that the marriage was really binding, as he was an ex-minister with full authority to perform the marriage. After a few moments of perplexity the young people decide to make the best of it and Victoria finds that her father is not averse to the marriage.
- Mr. Rawsberry had no particular talent except pure, unadulterated nerve. He was a janitor, but from his clothes he could have passed for Lord Chesterfield. He eloped with some kopecks from the boss's safe and went to the swellest hotel in town. There he met a pretty girl, and in order to impress her with his importance, he hires a page to bawl his name through the lobby and corridors. As luck would have it, his boss was stopping at the same hotel to rest his shattered nerves after the loss of his kopecks. He heard the name, and lost no time in looking Rawsberry up. Also an irascible gentleman whom Mr. Rawsberry had bumped in the park likewise hearkened and thanked heaven he had located the man he most wished to meet. Mr. Rawsberry sensed the approaching danger and tried to shut the page off, but the latter had lungs of leather and was fascinated with the sound of his own voice. He bawled the louder. Mr. Rawsberry, attempting to avoid the impending unpleasantness, ran afoul of a fire hose. The page got another fire hose, and the irascible gentleman drew his pocket cannon. A general melee followed.
- A musician turns busker and poses as a widow's maid.
- First is shown the "Barnyard Foxtrot," under Professor Kurtis' direction. Then "Bobby" is shown climbing the golden stairs. "Banty" then walks the slack wire with much grace. "Billikens" next shows his skill on the revolving hoop, while the wonderful mathematical roosters next come forward and answer all sorts of intricate mental arithmetic problems. Then is depicted the Ferris Wheel with the rooster engineer, followed by the grand finale, in which the entire rooster company takes part.
- A Hindoo woman carrying mortar is followed by a Hindoo policeman. A scene shows that barbers in India sit down to their work. Another big scene shows dozens of sacred cows on the street. These cows belong to no one and must be fed. It is considered a sin to pass by an animal in the street without offering some food. Homer Croy then visits a Hindoo temple. He is compelled to take his shoes off before entering. The next scene shows holy men in a bed of spikes. This is a form of self-punishment.
- Homer Croy visits the pyramids and with the help of three natives climbs to the top. Later he visits the Sphinx. Several interesting scenes of the African desert, highly instructive, are also exhibited.
- A man robs his mill-owning brother-in-law and frames a weaver.
- Plunged into the depth of mysticism and led by the ever-beckoning finger of science, the mirage of an Eleventh Dimension is always before the old professor's eyes. His concealed laboratory is filled with the latest chemical appliances and, in spite of his daughter's pleadings, his days and most of his nights are spent vainly searching for the unknown. Betty's joy in the love of young Lloyd Chambers is interwoven with anxiety for the state of her father's mind, especially as, for some unknown reason, he disapproves of her union with her lover and at the same time countenances the suit of his elderly friend, Dr. Lovejoy. Betty having retired for the night, the old man prepares to spend the hours in his beloved experiments. The electric furnace is at white heat. All the test tubes are laid out and retorts cast their reflections around. He transfers a few drops of liquor from one tube into another and a pale blue smoke arises, a flash, and to his distorted brain appears the image of a large cat. His hoarse cry of "success at last" is heard by Betty, who has crept from her bed and now stands at the open door of the laboratory. The terrible light in his eyes tells her that his brain has at last given way, and frightened, she closes the door. Dr. Lovejoy, interested in the old man's work, to a certain point, offers to bring one of his patients for experimental work, one whose life is despaired of. However, the sight of the laboratory quenches all desire for martyrdom in the visitor and he promptly refuses to lend himself. Foiled by his departure, the professor's twisted mind prompts him to chloroform the doctor and in an unwary moment the latter is drugged and strapped to the chair. Recovering consciousness, he pleads for mercy and the professor agrees to play a game of chess, the loser to give up his life, in order that he, the professor, may prove his theory that one lives after death. Beaten in the game, the doctor cheats and the old man turns the gun on himself and fires. A moment passes and he finds that he is still alive. Quickly he grabs the paper and writes, "This proves existence after death." Meanwhile, Betty, sensing something is wrong, tells Lloyd that her father and Lovejoy have been for hours in the laboratory. The police are called and the door is burst open. The wild exclamations of triumph from the professor are cut short by the discovery that the bullet has been deflected by his watch. The fact that he was not dead, not even hurt, is a sore blow to the old man's pride, but his sorrow is short-lived, however, for the sight of his daughter being embraced by young Lloyd restores his reason.
- Hank congratulated himself on a scheme whereby he calculated to discourage all rivals. The rivals did not get discouraged, however, and when the gang went to rob a house, Hank told the cops. They grabbed the crooks and Hank grabbed the girl. He also attempted to go back and cop the swag, but he did not know his pals had broken out of the cooler in the meantime and were coming back also. Neither did he realize they were going to carry off the trunk he had hidden in. Unluckily, they did this but the cops protested about going off with other folks' belongings. They used pistols also, and Hank got in the way of the bullets inside the trunk. The crooks finally got away but found Hank inside and gave him the time of his life. The swag was lost in the shuffle.
- The young author in his study is vainly seeking a new plot for a story. He picks up a paper and sees an ad in which "The Avalanche Motion Picture Company" offers a $10,000 prize for a novel photoplay. He shows all the symptoms of being bit by the "scenario bug." With the $10,000 bait before his eyes he seeks for a plot in earnest and decides to go out for a walk and look around. He wanders into the Mexican portion of town and, seeing a restaurant decides to go in and eat. While at the table he writes down everything he sees. A beautiful young Mexican girl with a large cloak comes in and lays her cloak aside. She gets in an argument with the two waiters, who are dressed like bandits, and they have quite a scrap. The melee happens near the author's table. One of the waiters sees that the author has written all over the menu card, and finishing on that has filled the tablecloth with writing. He too is drawn into the scrap and in the mix-up gets away with the girl's coat. He returns home. His wife comes in, sees the coat, and questioning her husband, learns where it came from. She admires it very much and decides to wear it for a little walk. While worrying about her going out with the girl's coat, the author falls into a troubled doze. In his dream he imagines she comes back to him, wakes him and they go out together searching for a plot. They wander into the restaurant and are eating when the Mexican girl with the long cloak comes in and hangs her cloak near the one belonging to his wife. It happens that the girl and her father have escaped from Mexico, with the plan to a lost mine and are closely pursued by two bandits, who are acting as waiters. She sees them and decides to take the cloak belonging to the author's wife and thus escape them. She gets by them in the coat and when the author and his wife come out with the girl's cloak they are pounced on by the bandits. They try to rob her, but unsuccessful in that, decide to kill her, but each time something happens that prevents the execution. The author, recognizing the splendid material for a melodrama, encourages them and insists on his wife complying with their demands. At last she tires of the attempts and decides to try her own hand at killing and there is "some fight." He complains that nothing ever happens right but when Wifie turns the aggressor things happen fast and furious. The bandits run and Hubby is knocked out and sent to the hospital. The two bandits tug and pull at him while he is helpless in their efforts to find the lost plans. They are about to kill him when he awakes and finds the two waiters from the restaurant shaking him. He thinks the dream was real, until they explain that they have come for the girl's cloak, which he took by mistake. All is straightened out and they leave. At last the author has his plot and needless to say, he wins the prize which affords him some consolation for the harrowing experience he had in his dream.
- John Thornton and his supposed nephew Tom live together in the city. They are fond of each other, but the elder man is worried about Tom, for the boy has fallen into the habit of gambling heavily at his club. One night Tom leaves for the club. An old beggar breaks into the house and comes to the library. John captures him. The beggar is too ill to protest. He sees a blue ribbon lying on the floor and picks it up. "My wife always wore a blue ribbon like that," he says. Thornton is startled. He looks closer at the man and recognizes him. Thornton phones Tom. The boy has gambled heavily and lost. Conscience-stricken he goes home and tells his uncle. The older man then tells him the story of a gambler. Twenty years before, John Thornton is a lawyer. Mary, daughter of the storekeeper, is his sweetheart. Hack Martin, a drummer, comes to the store to get an order, meets Mary, and is interested in her. John objects. They quarrel. A month later Martin and the girl are married and move to the city. Martin is a gambler and drinks heavily. He loses his position and decides that they will go back and live with Mary's father at least until after her child is born. Later Mary is ill and the doctor says her husband must be called. John offers to find him. He locates Martin in a saloon gambling. He tells him to come, but Martin will not leave. John plays the man for his wife's happiness. John wins Martin's money. Then John makes the proposition that Mary's freedom and happiness shall be the stake. John wins and drags the drunken man to the house. Mary is dead, the baby born. Martin starts to take it, but John steps in and takes the child as his stake. The picture fades into the library, the white-faced boy and the old man. The latter leads the lad to the bedroom where the butler has put the beggar to bed. "He is your father, Tom," says Thornton. The beggar is dead.
- Binks loves the wealthy widow. She promises at last to marry him. Everything would have been lovely if the widow's daughter, Lillian, had not come in on the scene just at this moment wearing an engagement ring. She confesses to her horrified mother that she is in love and has promised to marry the leading man of a movie company. Mamma puts her foot down very emphatically on Lillian marrying a movie actor and orders her to return the ring immediately. But the handsome leading man sincerely loves Lillian and is upset by her mother's injustice. Then he gets an idea. "Just leave the matter in my hands," he tells her. So he frames up a little scheme on mamma, disguising himself as a baron of wealth, and makes himself known in this identity to the widow. She falls. Binks is left in the cold. The supposed Baron is invited to call. The protesting Binks is ousted. The leading man then invites Lillian and her mamma to "inspect his motion picture interests" the next day. Lillian, of course, accepts and mamma is delighted. The next day the outraged Binks is let in on the frame-up. He is ordered to have a real minister on hand at the studio with the promise that he will surely have a chance to marry the widow. So Lillian and mamma accompany the supposed Baron. They arrive at the studio. The movie director is also let in on the frame-up and promises to aid the scheming couple. A wedding scene is set up on the stage. Binks arrives with the real minister. Mamma is awfully interested. She does not dream for a moment that the affair is real when the director approaches the supposed Baron and Lillian asking as a favor that they help him out by acting in his wedding scene. They do this and go through the marriage ceremony watched by interested mamma. Imagine her horror when she discovers that the whole thing is real! After she recovers she realizes the humorous side of it all and gladly marries the happy Binks.
- A jealous Scot trails his wife to a café.
- The Anti-Vice League president's husband has a night out with his nephew.
- The little cow-camp of Rawhide is slumbering under the desert stars. Suddenly the doors of one of the saloons bursts open and Fred and Jack back out of the saloon shooting. They leap upon their waiting horses and dash away, a body of citizens in pursuit. Out on the desert's edge stands the lonely little cabin of Pauline, "The Girl of the Desert." On the night in question, she has retired for the night when she becomes aware of a pounding on the door and a man's voice asking her to open it. She takes her revolver from under her pillow and waits. Slowly the door is forced open. Pauline draws herself back into the shadow and when one of the intruders lights a match, he finds himself looking into the muzzle of a revolver. Pauline orders them out. The two men are Fred and Jack, who have sought refuge from the pursuing cowboys. They leave the cabin good naturedly but camp nearby for the night. The pursuers, baffled and thrown off the track, divide into several small bands and start scouring the country for the fugitives. One of these stumbles upon Pauline's cabin and demands entry. Pauline, thinking that they are the two refugees who first broke into her cabin, warns they away and when they persist in trying to force an entry, opens fire and slightly wounds one of them. They return the fire through the door and when one of the bullets from their guns shatters a lamp chimney near Pauline's head, her feminine nature asserts itself and she dives under the covers. Frank and Jack, startled out of a sound sleep by the shots, investigate and find that their would-be captors have broken into the cabin and are subjecting the girl to insult. They immediately champion her cause and succeed in taking their pursuers captives. Out of gratitude, Pauline offers to show the two fugitives the trail across the desert to the border. They set out early next morning, leaving the three members of the posse tied up in the cabin. Owing to a wound which Fred has sustained in the encounter, he becomes delirious and they finally lose the trail. But after many hardships, the border is reached. Pauline says good-bye to the boys, sets out on the back trail across the desert to her little cabin and the incident closes.
- An ex-convict sells his soul to the devil for riches and kills his mistress at their engagement party.
- Billie was a groom, but he had a secret hankering to be a social lion and when the baron was absent he posed as the latter gentleman. The affair started well, but the maid he had promised to marry recognized him making love to the heiress and told her brother, who had a nasty temper and carried weapons. Billie had to take back the maid, but only temporarily, as he got away and attended a reception in his honor at the heiress's home. The vendetta, however, mistook him for the real baron they wished to assassinate and threw bombs at him. These had a disturbing effect on the dinner party and everybody tries to get away gracefully, but with haste. Billie ran into a shed, but a bomb followed and exploded in his rear. Billie immediately went up. His descent was much more rapid than his rise, and several unpleasant obstacles were met with on the way down. Another man got the maid and the baron got Billie.
- Marion has two suitors, one is a sport and the other a policeman. In the opening scene the policeman meets Marion in the park. They sit down on a bench and he urges her to marry him. After Marion has reached home the sport calls, and realizing that he has a dangerous rival in the policeman, hastens to propose to Marion, telling her that if she will marry him she will be able to lead a life of luxury and ease. The policeman is evidently a favorite with Marion's mother, but the girl now has had her head turned with the prospect of enjoying wealth by marrying the sport, and shows indifference toward the policeman. Her mother tries to smooth things over with the policeman and insists that he sit down and take a meal with her. Marion falls asleep and dreams of her wedding with the sport. The visualization of her dreams is thrown on the screen and we see her being pelted with flowers by a joyous assemblage of wedding guests as the happy couple are leaving the church to start on their honeymoon. Next we see them established in a fully furnished apartment. Marion seems to be provided with everything that her heart could wish for. A change, however, comes over her dream, for after that we see the sport following his real profession at a gambling house, where he is caught cheating at cards and is ignominiously ejected. He goes home and enters in an angry mood. When Marion starts to cry, he brutally throws her aside, takes a key from her and goes to the dresser, where he appropriates her jewelry. Then he lights a cigar and presumably goes back to the gambling house, after having obtained more funds from the sale of the jewels. At all events we next find him down and out, as he and Marion are living in poverty. Soon afterwards the sport knocks a passer-by senseless and robs him. A boy gives the alarm, but the sport eludes the police, who are in close pursuit, and, entering his own house, he tells Marion to conceal the money he has stolen, and then rushes up to the attic to conceal himself. The policeman, Marion's former suitor, enters and recognizes her. At this point the mother awakens Marion, who is greatly relieved that she has merely had a horrible dream, and realizes "what might have been" her fate had she married the sport. The mother, deeming this to be the psychological moment to further the interests of the policeman, brings him into the parlor, and Marion falls into his arms.
- Sloane, a retired multimillionaire, disputed the contentions of Van Dyke that clothes and money makes the man, and upheld his views that any man with ordinary intelligence can be made a man of culture and education. To prove his argument, he takes a man from one of the mills of his friends. Larry O'Neill, tall and powerful and young, swung his heavy sledge with powerful blows. Sloane guessed he would do. And so, after a little parley, Larry sat on the edge of a chair in Sloane's mansion that evening while Sloane explained the proposition. And so it came about that Larry was dressed in the latest cut of clothes of the best materials and became Mr. Lawrence O'Neill, with iron and steel interests. He made a hit at the club at the start. Larry made a greater hit at Mildred Harmon's reception, putting Van Dyke and one or two others of the club to rout in the race for Mildred's favors. But he kept his head, and conducted himself altogether in such a way that old man Sloane was proud of him and bore him away to the regret of everybody but Van Dyke. But Larry had started something. It grew and ripened until it was an everyday sight to see Mildred and Mr. O'Neill in the park on their horses. One day while aeroplaning, Larry had a chance to protect Mildred, and under these romantic circumstances before he thought, grabbed and kissed her. Panic-stricken at the enormity of his offense, Larry fled as fast as possible, but Mildred didn't seem to think it was such a terrible thing and from the way she smiled, the coward might have had another, if he hadn't run away. Larry sat in his room thinking hard and lecturing himself. "A conscience is a terrible thing to have to live with sometimes," he said, "I am a blackguard and a four-flusher. It was fun while it lasted, but the masquerade has gone far enough. I will go and tell her who I am and then go back to the anvil." Larry went back to the rolling mills, but one o'clock in the morning used to find him poring over a book on the manufacture of iron, though at times Mildred's face would appear on the page and blot out the words. And one o'clock often found old man Sloane thinking of Larry as he sat in his big, dim library, just as it found Mildred curled up in her big armchair in the firelight, looking with wide eyes into the dying embers. But on her face there was a smile. The hard study began to tell. Pretty soon Larry was telling the foreman how to do some things, and then he invented a process that made the grayheads in the carpeted office sit up and take notice. Within a year it was "Supt. O'Neill." Then followed a note from Mildred. And Larry made a bold stroke for an interest in the firm, and got it. With it all he got the girl of his heart by proving himself a gentleman.
- Both crooks, on the pleading of the girl, determine to turn square but with the provision of turning just one more trick. The first could not foresee that the second had placed a time bomb in the safe when he went to rob it. Likewise, the second could not foresee the other was going to pay a visit to the booty after he had planted the explosive. But worse, neither could foresee that a gang of burglars were contemplating carrying off the safe and that there were police loitering nearby. All this leads to events whereby the safe is suspended from a twenty story skyscraper with a man locked inside and a time bomb threatening to go off in five minutes. The burglars on the roof did not realize they were defying the law of gravity when they attempted to pull the safe over the eaves. This was impressed on them, however, when the safe exploded. The man inside the vault also learned a lesson on the laws of gravity, and the same thing was impressed on the other crook and the girl when they least expected it.
- Father's timepiece was out of order so he gave it to Daughter to take to the watchmaker. Daughter, however, entrusted it to her sweetheart, who kept it. His rival found it, but Father, though he didn't know the rival, certainly was not mistaken about his watch, and attempted to get it. To this the rival objected and gave Father a black eye. Soon after, the sweetheart and the rival both were pinched. The Judge turned out to be Father. His black eye did not deter him from recognizing the fellow who gave it to him and he promptly put him in the dungeon. The rival was husky, however, and cut loose by breaking through a stone wall. Slumbering cops, a sledgehammer, the Judge's sore optic, and the girl and sweetheart were a few of the things that caused all persons concerned to run around in circles.
- A flirtatious old gent gets pushed into the Thames.
- A cowboy will inherit a fortune if he weds a girl named Mary Brown.
- Senor La Bullio was a fierce, wild lover and also the village barber. He made the big hit with Senorita Hitchey Koo, until Mr. Perkins, the globe trotter, appeared. The latter made an easy conquest of Senorita, but made the mistake of talking about it when he went in to get a shave. Senor Bullia had him conveniently in the chair with an assortment of razors within reach. Mr. Perkins cursed bis glib tongue and the Senor reached for them. Perkins' regrets didn't appease La Bullio, and he tried to get out. The Senor was a better runner than he, however. Other rivals had this fact impressed on them when they got in the way of the sprinters. The Senorita turned out to be a fickle jade and shook the bunch.
- Abner Stebbins, Martin's crony, has a daughter, Helen, whom he wishes to marry to the bank clerk. Richard Willis, who is a "swell dresser," but addicted to the use of alcoholic beverages, unknown to Abner. Abner's clerk, Harry Matson, and Helen are simply "made for each other" and Helen does not take to the idea of tying up with the bank clerk as she knows some of his bad habits Abner, however, can't see things that way and insists that she marry him. He also takes occasion to "bawl" Harry out for daring to think of marrying his daughter. The two youthful lovers seek out their mutual friend, Martin Lowe, and find him engrossed in a very interesting magazine story. He puts his book aside and they pour their tale of woe into his sympathetic ears. He agrees with them and promises to use his utmost efforts in bringing the girl's father to their way of thinking. Martin finds his old friend engrossed in a magazine story and eating peanuts "by the peck." He is welcomed in and offered some of the "fruit." Martin tactfully tries to talk Stebbins into letting the two youngsters have their way, but in vain. At last, desperate, he tells Abner of a seemingly true story wherein a father forces his daughter to marry a man of his own choice, who turns out to be a drunkard and abuses his wife shamefully. Both old men are touched by the story and wipe the tears away. Just as the story is finished, Willis comes in with a "jag" on. They tell him he has been drinking and he indignantly disavows the charge and leaves. The two lovers some along and give him the merry ha! ha! which insults his dignity more. The two lovers come into the office to learn their fate, and so diplomatic has been the work of "the fixer" that her father grudgingly agrees to the match. Martin then takes out the two to a celebration at the soda fountain. Stebbins, although he appears to have been taken in by Martin's story, is not so dense as he appeared and, slyly going to Martin's room, finds the identical magazine he had been reading telling the story that Martin claimed as his own. In a spirit of fun he marks across the page the word "plagiarist" and, Martin, coming home from his celebration with the two lovers, finds the book. His poor old brain whirls when he tries to figure out the word. As the story closes the old man is seen painfully searching out the word in the dictionary.
- Grace Byron, wearied of being sought for her fortune, determines to hook a diamond of her choice in her own way. In her musings she sees a dashing cavalier of the "Three Musketeers" period and her innate sense of romance thrills at his ardent wooing. Coming to New York she sees a face which interests her and through an investigation agency learns about him. Stanton Leeds is also bored by the conventions of life. In his fireside reveries he sees himself as a cavalier, rescuing a strange damsel in distress. Several nights after Grace has spotted her man, Leeds sees two men jump from an auto, pull a heavily-veiled girl from another car and dash away with her. He tries to enter the house in which she has been taken. Two masked men run out and overpower him, carrying him within. Bound and gagged, he encounters the mysterious veiled girl, who tells him of a strange conspiracy to compel her to marry, thus forfeiting her inheritance under the terms of a will which forbids her marrying before her twenty-first birthday. The mysterious maiden is interrupted by the entrance of masked men who carry her out. Leeds liberates himself from his bonds. Through a keyhole he sees a number of masked men, among whom he recognizes the bridegroom-to-be. When the latter is left alone Leeds tackles him and dons his mask and gown. Back troop the band. It is time for the wedding. Leeds is in doubt whether to go through the ceremony or announce his identity. A feeling for the mysterious maiden stronger than pity guides him. The ceremony is performed. The dim lights leap into brilliance. Leeds' mask and the mask of the other man is pulled off. They burst into laughter. Leeds is dumbfounded when the girl who unveiled proves to be Grace, hands him back the ring and confesses that it was all framed up. The romance of it all appeals to Leeds. He replaces the ring and says, "But, dear, we will lose all the wedding presents by being married this way."
- Vera, an heiress, while on a trip to the seaside, sees and admires Jack, an oyster dredger. She takes a fancy to his mode of living and through her lawyer proposes to change places and life with him for a time, placing all her property in trust with her lawyer. Jack finally agrees to the proposition and is installed in the wealthy girl's home, while she takes up the work of an oyster dredger. Vera's lawyer plots to force the girl to marry him as he has absolute control of all her property and she cannot gain possession without his consent. Vera is indignant at the lawyer's presumption. Jack tires of the life which is so different from that to which he is accustomed and decides to go back to his dredger. In a saloon, he overhears the lawyer make an insulting remark about the wealthy girl helping the oyster dredger and is about to attack him, when the crooked lawyer steps backward and falls into the sea. Jack and Vera are reunited as the story ends.
- An artist is blamed when her drunkard father shoots her brutal husband.
- A split reel showing a series of tricks performed by six intelligent seals. They juggle hats, play a band of music, cymbals, drum, etc., balance a ball on the tips of their noses and carry burning brands in their mouths. An amusing feature of the act is the way the seals applaud when one does an effective trick.
- The wedding dinner would have gone off without a hitch had not the disappointed rival been present. He attempted to make disparaging remarks about the groom on a note, and pass it under the table to the bride. The groom got it, and wrote back for the rival to meet him across the hall. The rival thought it was the bride, and went gladly. He discovered his mistake when the groom followed him over and locked the door behind him. Dumb bells, weights and other physical culture paraphernalia were some of the things with which the groom intended to chastise the rival. The rival, however, had some undiscovered bumps of muscle and the groom, instead of punishing him, had to flee man for his life A with the gout, a lady with a jealous husband, and a fire hose, were some of the impediments which delayed the groom's flight. These delays were also fatal to the bride's family as they were drawn into the unpleasantness and things happened which were not quite proper at weddings.
- Harry Burton, a young planter, wakes up one morning to find his fruit frost-bitten; he is ruined. He determines to get out and on picking up a newspaper he reads that gold has been found in a certain region. He decides to start on a prospecting trip, so he sells his plantation and starts on his journey. Some days later he finds himself in the desert and stops at a desert well to refill his canteen. While there he meets a young girl, Alice Manning, who lives with her father in a cabin nearby. She tells him that the well in the only one in a radius of sixty miles, so Burton decides to camp near and try his luck in the hills close by. Alice and Burton meet several times and their friendship ripens into love. One day Burton discovers gold and shows a piece of it to Alice's father, Jed Manning. Jed, who has searched in vain for many years, is jealous and when Burton tells him that he is going to the nearest city to get some supplies, Jed waits until he has gone, then jumps his claim. Alice protests, but Jed, with some of his men, takes possession. Burton returns and discovers Jed has robbed him. He tries to take it back, but Jed and his men are armed and threaten to shoot him. Burton takes Alice into his confidence and shows her a plan whereby he hopes to regain possession of his claim. During the night he throws up an embankment around the well, and taking his rifle gets inside and awaits developments. Next morning one of the men arrives at the well with a pail to obtain water, but is warned off by Burton. The man goes to Jed and tells him what has occurred and Jed takes his two men and goes to the well. Under Jed's orders the two men attempt to rush the well, but Burton fires, wounding one of the men in the foot, and they have to retreat, with the wounded man. The next day Jed runs out of water and goes back to the well with Alice, who is carrying a jug to get a drink for the wounded man. Alice fills the jug with water and climbs over the barricade. She is seized by her father who takes the jug from her. Burton, from a distance, sees this, fires, and the bullet breaks the jug. Jed and his men are fighting with Burton, when the wounded man, whom they have left in the tent, becoming delirious, wanders onto the scene, raises his revolver and fires at Jed, wounding him. In the meantime, Alice has returned to the tent and discovers that the wounded man is missing. She immediately starts in search of him and finds him outside the barricade with her father, wounded. She calls for Burton; he comes to her assistance, and they take her father to their tent. Later all ends happily as Alice is the promised wife of Burton, and he and Jed are partners in the "Red Claim."
- Bill was a bootblack, but that didn't stop him from having social aspirations. He rescued an heiress from a burglar at no particular risk to himself, but it looked big and Bill got away with it nicely, even meeting father and getting himself invited to call. But back at the shinorium, Bill's boss was getting peeved because Bill was so late and when Bill did return, the boss talked harshly to him. Meanwhile, father and the heiress needed a shine. Bill's stand was the one out of a thousand in a great city they shouldn't have picked out. But they did. Bill saw them first, though, and put on whiskers and a plug hat for disguise. This didn't help as the boss knew him and didn't care whether it hurt Bill's feelings to be seen shining shoes or not. He ran into a barber shop next door, but this didn't help him, as there were too many razors lying about and too many ill-tempered parties who didn't like Bill to wield them. Bill is slammed in the stomach and knocked clean through a brick wall. Papa and the heiress got lost in the shuffle. The boss pulls out a big knife but, through unforeseen developments, attacks himself from the rear.
- Billie is flirting with Olive when he sees Carmen. He leaves Olive to go with Carmen. Carmen tells him she wants a doll, so Billie steals Olive's and gives it to Carmen. Olive gets angry and Billie is forced to procure a doll for her, so he looks about for one until he comes upon some Black children; he steals a doll from one and gives it to Olive, who is not satisfied with it and throws it away. The Black children chase Billie to a place where Olive disposed of the doll, and he returns it to the Black children. He then returns to Carmen, lures her from her sweetheart, and takes her to an ice-cream stand, where he treats her. He finds he has no money to pay for the ice cream, but quite undaunted he goes to the sweetheart he stole from and borrows a dime, with which he returns to the stand and pays for the sodas. The sweetheart, watching him, sees his nervy trick and gets angry. He at once rushes upon the young gallant and proceeds to "mix" this in a lively fashion. Billie comes out of the encounter much the worse for wear and now scorned by both Carmen and Olive.
- The pair are staying at a summer resort at the beach. They both "spot" the arrival of the "peach." Eddie attempts to flirt with her, and she is coy but willing. Lee, too, cannot make his eyes behave, and a breach is beginning to appear in their friendship. Eddie finds that the girl is in her room and 'phones up to her, inviting her to take a stroll on the beach. She asks him if he is the one with "the winning smile" and he tells her he sure is. She agrees to meet him outside. Lee, meanwhile, has bribed the bellboy to spy on the girl, discovers the arrangement and beats Eddie to the girl. When Eddie comes in looking for the girl he sees her and Lee strolling on the beach. He hires a boy to feign drowning and when Lee bravely tries to rescue him, the kid jeeringly swims off. While Lee is playing the brave rescuer, Eddie gets the girl and takes her off for a stroll. Both the boys try to get the girl to marry, but she holds off and finally leaves for home, each of the pair getting identical letters, telling them that the boy that arrives at her house first will receive good news. There is a dash for the station, Eddie getting the lead by hiring the only auto in sight. Lee gets a motorcycle. There is a hot race between the two. Both catch the train and start on their journey glaring at each other. In a convict camp there is a row and convict 325 makes his getaway, catching the same train as the love-struck twins. The guards, seeing the convict catch the train, wire ahead to have him stopped. In the train, the convict removes the clothes of the sleeping Eddie and eludes the officers, while Eddie is taken for the crook. He escapes and in turn gets Lee's clothes. Lee is mistaken for the convict and Eddie haughtily denies that he is Eddie's friend. The melee ends by both getting free of the officer and with an even chance to reach the girl's house. Through a ruse, Eddie gets there first and is asking for the girl when Lee dashes up. The maid tells them that the girl has gone, and on seeing the woebegone expressions of the faces of the "pair," hands Eddie a letter saying her mistress left it for the young man that arrived first: Eddie gloatingly looks at his rival while he opens it to read the blissful news, but his expression quickly changes when he receives a curt note saying she has gone to marry "a real man."