Writing
Robert Armstrong, falsely accused of a murder committed thirty years ago in a western gambling hall, faces the alternative of imprisonment or paying blackmail. A letter from Tom Mason, formerly a miner, prepares him for a visit, at which time he must make his choice.
Goldie, the bright young daughter of Farmer Meadows, is engaged to marry Harold Montaine, a romantic young farm hand. Along comes Jim Bludsoe, a regular villain, whose polish and citified manners impress Goldie so that she is induced to elope with him.
When a Broadway actress marries the son of a wealthy New York family, his father does everything he can to try and split the couple up. Eventually convinced of her worthiness, he changes his mind and gives them his blessing.
Raised in the lap of luxury, Norma Russell is ill-prepared for her father's financial reverses. In exchange for a $25,000 loan, Norma's dad promises her hand in marriage to bank president Howard Dundore.
Jennie Blake, a schoolteacher from the city, comes between Paul Whalen and Jim Payne, fishing partners in the seaport town of Rocky Point, and is unable to decide which one she loves until Jim loses his temper and is beaten in a fight by Paul.
Mazie, a shop-girl of New York City's Little Ireland, goes to the aid of a young man in formal attire involved in a street fight. Though badly beaten, he bears a strong resemblance to Lord Lytton, the hero of a magazine story Mazie is reading in installments. Although he is, in reality, a soda clerk, Mazie permits his attentions, and together they read the "Sloppy Stories" yarn about English nobility.
Returning from service in the A. E. F., Dale Garland is given a rousing reception by his townsmen. County political boss Nebo Slayter persuades the community to nominate Dale for sheriff--thinking he can be easily manipulated--against John Millard, the incumbent, who refuses political compromises. Dale easily wins and pledges to give the citizens an honest deal. Millard's daughter, Alice, who is Dale's childhood sweetheart, learns of Slayter's dishonest schemes and sees his men murder a moonshiner for whom they had been furnishing protection.
Jack Sterling from up York State marries the daughter of old Squire Merton, takes her back to the big city and later becomes affluent in business, but is not as attentive to his wife as he should be. Easily won wealth seems to lead him from home rather than attach him to it.
Dick Alden, a 12-year-old boy mistreated by his stepfather and picked on by the other residents of his village, is wrongly accused of setting fire to the local schoolhouse. He runs away but vows to take his revenge on the village. Years later he gets his chance when he returns to take over the mill he has inherited--he plans to close it down, which would throw most of the people out of work and destroy the economy. However, he runs into someone from his past that could put a halt to his plans.
Jim Carson, a young farmer, loves the school teacher, Helen Dale, and they expect to be married. His father unexpectedly marries a widow who has a son, Arthur Vaughn, an actor. Arthur creates havoc with Helen's heart and the plans of Jim are disarranged.
Barry Gordon, the older son of a Virginia colonel, inherits a taste for alcohol--a habit that caused his father's death. His brother, Tom, falls in love with Muriel Beekman, their guardian's daughter. Barry also loves her but feels rejected. Three years later, after extended travels, Barry learns that Tom, having been sent to Morocco by Mr. Beekman, has been captured by desert marauders and is being held for ransom. He begins a search for him and in Tangiers encounters the Beekmans and Kitty Van Ness. Barry and Muriel discover their love for each other, but he refuses to commit himself while Tom is still alive.
To raise funds for the American effort in The Great War heiress Betty Hallowell decides to lease her beautiful country house to Mrs. Wentworth, a wealthy widow whose son Tom is recuperating from injuries received overseas. When Mrs. Wentworth suddenly demands the services of a maid for the summer, Betty, unable to secure a servant on such short notice, dons a dark wig and poses as "French maid Bettina." Tom and “Bettina” fall in love much to his mother’s dismay but when the deception is finally revealed all ends well.
Pierre Felix, a couturier, makes a $25,000 bet with Ralph Courtland that he can take a girl from the streets, dress her appropriately, and within three months have her accepted into society.
English hellraiser Richard Farrington is sent by his wealthy titled parents for a visit to his aunt and uncle in Long Island, New York. On the ocean voyage, Richard meets Betty Winthrop, the ward of the wealthy Van Allen family. Introducing himself he mistakenly gives her the card of John Smithers, a conman who cheated him at cards in London. He follows Betty to the Van Allen estate, where he hears her declare that she would rather marry an American criminal than a weakling English aristocrat. Determined to win her over, he pretends to be Smithers, but things don't turn out exactly the way he planned.
Brian Godfrey and Arnold Lambert are clerks in the diamond broker's office, both interested in Mildred St. Pierre, the daughter of an old employee. For a while she is impartial but Arnold is too impetuous in his addresses and she repulses him. Gilbert Howell, a traveling salesman of the firm, puts into the vault a sealed package containing valuable private papers. On the same day is placed in the vault, a number of fine uncut stones in a similar package. When Howard starts on his usual tour, he takes from the vault what he thinks are his papers. That same evening, old St. Pierre, recalling the fact of leaving some very important papers on his desk is worried and decides to make sure by going back to the office alone to place them in the vault.
Aurora, daughter of Professor Norris, a student of Eskimo culture in the region of Unalik on the southeast coast of Alaska, is devoted to David, a youth of weak character who has been reared in the family, and she is aloof to other men. "Wiki" Jack, primitive and passionate, sets out to win her despite her unconcealed disdain for him.
At a remote Canadian trading post, Pierre Baptiste, a simple French Canadian, loves Marcette, the storekeeper's daughter. In midwinter, Stannard, a stranger from England, arrives in search of a gold claim and infatuates Marcette. Urged on by Nefferton, a supposed friend who plots to steal his claim, Stannard sets out on the eve of a storm; and Marcette, fearing for his safety, sends Pierre after him.
This morality play of the starts off with Grace Vaughn running off with married man Dudley Kent (Wyndham Standing). While sailing to England, they meet Mr. and Mrs. Hargrove. Mrs. Hargrove tries to talk Grace out of ruining her life, but the girl won't listen. After a few months, Kent leaves Grace and she gets mixed up with a woman who runs a house of ill repute.
Through a real estate purchase Daniel Gaynor acquires all rights in the waterway leading from Moose River to the mill. The original owner has never made use of his rights, but Gaynor, whose one thought is to get power, refuses to allow logs to be floated down the river running through his property. The men resent this injustice, and there is a fight between Gaynor and Bill Jackson, Bill representing the lumbermen.
Huri, an East Indian, calls upon young Putnam on business, and while there the native leaves his most prized possession. Then strange things happen.
