A young couple’s love is forbidden by the girl’s father. He forces her to write a farewell letter. Three years later, the Civil War begins and the father dies. At the end of the war, her boyfriend comes to visit her and all the suffering is forgotten.
Don Packard, an artist, forgets his country sweetheart, Martha, and falls in love with his model, Linee. The boy marries Linee and takes her to his home. Martha conceives a hatred for Linee when she discovers that the girl has robbed her of her lover. Don's father, a parson, is horrified when he learns of his son's worldly wife. When Linee realizes the trouble her marriage to Don has caused, she runs away, Martha does her utmost to stir up trouble. For two years Don searches in vain for Linee, who has become a cabaret dancer. Dupree, a Frenchman, falls in love with the girl, but she repels his advances, Don enters the restaurant just as Dupree, mad with jealousy, attempts to shoot Linee.
Mrs. Herton, a widow, lives in comfortable circumstances with her son, Roland. Over forty years of age, she is still an attractive woman, but lacks self-reliance and is greatly impressed by Geoffrey Stern who seeks her hand. Roland objects to Stern and endeavors to convince his mother that the selfish and unscrupulous suitor has been attracted by the comfortable home and timber lands owned by the widow. But the good woman is deceived by Stern's well-feigned devotion and agrees to marry him.
When the Civil War breaks out Eric Warren, a young physician, enlists and is commissioned captain. In the field of action his clever maneuvers constantly harass the Confederates and Colonel Ashby, chafing under many defeats at the hands of the young officer, decides to capture him through a subterfuge.
Although it means the mortgaging of their home, Roger Dayton's parents send him to law school. Selfish and ungrateful, the boy forgets all about the old folks after his graduation.
The prosecuting attorney's impassioned address clinches the conviction of the criminal who, breaking away from his guard, viciously assaults the prosecutor but is finally quieted. At home, the attorney's wife reads a newspaper account of the affair and is greatly disturbed.
In the second entry of the popular Hazards of Helen series, Helen, is temporarily assigned as a telegraph operator at Quarry Depot; bad blood springs up between two men who are seeking Helen's favor, but to whom she has remained impartial.
Alice Durand, after weeks of discouragement, reads the following advertisement in the New York Herald: "Governess wanted. Young American woman, well educated and speaking French and German, may obtain lucrative position with prominent Egyptian. Fare and expenses will be advanced. Write, enclosing photograph, to Mahmoud Pasha, Sphinx Club, Cairo, Egypt." Answering the advertisement, Alice seven weeks later, secures the position and leaves her New York boarding-house for Egypt.
Lured by Diana, Katherine runs away from home. The foolish girl is soon drawn into the whirlpool. She meets Mace, a notorious man-about-town, and is fascinated by him. Doctor Busby, an insane physician, recognizes in Mace the man who had caused his daughter's death. Shortly afterward, Katherine discovers Mace's real character. Wild with rage, she stabs him.
"Sidewinder Steve" returns to civilization to find that his ore specimens show he has discovered a turquoise mine. He wires his friend, Ace Brent, the capitalist, who has a half-interest in his discoveries, to furnish him with money to make the trip back across the desert to officially stake his claim. But "Lonney" Smith, telegraph operator at the town and secret spy for The Syndicate, Brent's rivals, informs his employers of the new "strike," and they dispatch their agent Meyers to thwart Brent. The latter, recovering from injuries received in a previous encounter with sheep herders, consents to allow Barbara to handle the affair. Her admirer, John Wallace, follows her to the desert town, fearing for her safety. The action then develops into a thrilling three-cornered race across the desert between Barbara and John, Lonney and Meyers, and a gang of local adventurers headed by "Dry Wash" Sexton, proprietor of the "saloon and hotel."
A short smugglers’ drama in which a new employee of the harbour police starts working for an export trader, so as to keep an eye on the smugglers. After a wild chase, the smugglers are captured, and it turns out that harbour police agent and the daughter of the export trader get along very well.
The first adaptation of Lew Wallace's novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.
Believing her husband no longer loves her, Alice Lund consents to elope with Cater. She writes the man a note to this effect. Dane and the Lunds are warm friends. He decides to surprise them by taking them to the theater. Dane calls at the Lund home in time to see Alice preparing to run away with Cater. He sees the woman rifle her husband's safe of a large sum of money. She is just about to hand it to Cater, when Dane steps between and seizes the money.
When Rose McDonald and Frank Mosby became engaged it appears that the deadly feud which has long existed between the families has come to an end. The betrothal is held at the McDonald cabin. All seem willing to forget past differences save McDonald, the bride's father and Joe, the groom's young brother. The day of the wedding arrives. Frank prevails upon the family to leave all weapons at home. He sends them ahead. Joe has informed Frank that he no longer regards him as a brother.
A series of 25 2-reel Western thrillers in which a cowgirl aids the cause of justice and humanity in the Old West, often aided by her fiancé and her rancher father. Each episode tells a complete story in itself.
"The Devil's Dansant" is the nickname given to a dansant of which Dominique, a Frenchman, is the proprietor. District Attorney Farrar, while searching for evidence on which to raid the place, is astounded to find that his wife Valerie, is a frequent visitor at Dominique's. The willful woman disobeys her husband's orders and continues to visit Dominique's.
The life of Jesus is played out in tableaux shot in the Holy Land.
Impending trouble with the sheep herders, who are encroaching on his range, causes Ace Brent, owner of vast California interests, to warn his daughter Barbara to postpone her visit to the ranch. But Barbara is made of sterner stuff, and, following a heated discussion with her admirer, John Wallace, over woman's equality with man in the business world, she declares she will disregard the warning telegram and be at her father's side should trouble come.
Two tramps hold up small-town Ferndale's railway station night operator Helen, lock her in a closet, and escape. Later, standing on a bridge over the freight yards, Helen sees the two bandits aboard an outgoing freight and drops onto the roof of the car from above as it crosses underneath. A chase along the roofs of the speeding cars ensues.
While touring Egypt, Harris and his wife visit an old temple and are fascinated by a sacred scimitar, which, at the corner of a shrine, is religiously guarded by Hadjji, a Mohammedan priest. The wife is a curio fiend, and demands that Harris secure the scimitar, but the husband, having read in his guidebook that the scimitar was supposedly presented to the prophet in a vision and that the vengeance of Allah will follow whosoever disturbs it, begs her to abandon the foolish idea. She insists. That night Harris enters the temple with a rope ladder, steals the scimitar and escapes.
