Rev. Robert Martin is an ex-minister who has lost his faith because of his wife's faithlessness, and taken up a life of crime as head of a band of pickpockets masquerading as religious workers who ply their trade in the wake of a traveling carnival company. He tries to keep the true nature of his work secret from his daughter Julie, but she learns the truth while traveling with his band for a week.
William H. TookerRev. Robert Martin
Norma ShearerJulie Martin
Ruth DwyerMary Forrest
Walter MillerStephen Gregory
Eugene BordenSam Gregory
Matthew BetzBert Robinson
John B. O'BrienMan of Dawn
Robert KenyonMartin (young man)Myrtle MorseMrs. MartinJack CrosbyRaymond Pritchard
During the Civil War, Rachel Hayne, a young widow, is among those "held by the enemy" when her old family home is within the lines occupied by the Northern troops. Protected by Colonel Prescott from looters and the unwelcome attentions of Surgeon Fielding, Rachel begins to fall in love with the gallant Yankee officer. Their romance is disrupted when Rachel's husband Gordon, long reported dead, is captured as a spy and condemned to death.
Tom Denton comes from the East to the Northwest lumber region and becomes co-owner of a lumber camp with Howard Patton, whose bored wife Vera insists on flirting with Tom despite his discouragement.
Richard Craig and Paul Hessert, who work in the same office, are great chums. Both are in love, however, with the stenographer.
Henry Potter is the irresponsible playboy son of a New York millionaire. Fearing he will disgrace the family name if he stays in New York, the father sends him to San Francisco to work in the family shipyards and, to make a man out of him, he is told he will have to start at the bottom and work his way up. Henry decides this is not a good idea and resents it to the point he will indeed start at the bottom but will work his way down from there, and disgrace the family name in San Francisco.
A shop girl has ambitions of marrying up.
A convicted murderer has been sentenced to death in the electric chair. He decides to spill the name of the man who hired him, but just before he does he's killed by a poison dart. A police detective and a pretty young newspaper reporter team up to find out the identity of the man behind the killings.
Lewis Dumont, a Northern officer in the American Civil War, works undercover behind Confederate lines in an attempt to lead Southern forces away from an area in which a Northern attack is planned. But Dumont falls in love with a Southern girl and when she proves useful to his plan, his conscience begins to tear at him.
Alick Wylie agrees to give railroad porter John Shand $300 to help him secure his education and political ambitions on condition that his daughter Maggie has the option of marrying him within five years. Though not in love they marry, and John becomes successful, thanks to Maggie’s input on his speeches, in time being elected to Parliament. Eventually John strays with Lady Sybil and Maggie diplomatically arranges for them to be together. However his next speech without her assistance is a failure and Sybil leaves him out of boredom, it’s then he sees Maggie’s true worth.
Louis Mona is left to the care of the monks of the monastery of San Luis, who have brought him up with love and care. Louis, who is devoted to his surroundings, and who knows nothing of the great outside world, and who has no great desire to learn about it in person, desires to join the order, but there is a rule that cannot be overlooked.
Olympe is a cabaret dancer who offers her services to France when her country goes to war. She becomes a spy and provides valuable intelligence information during World War I by winning the confidence of a German officer. Hugh Warren is the American soldier who falls for Olympe. She allows him to believe she is a simple peasant and reveals nothing of her career as a spy. The two fall in love and are married, but the villainous German agent De Montinrich reveals to her husband's family that she is a tawdry club dancer. Unable to reveal her role in espionage, Olympe is ostracized by her friends and family. When the French government honors Olympe for her wartime bravery, her family no longer considers her a blemish on their sterling reputation.
Edith Frome (Stevens) finds it impossible to live with her alcoholic husband Arthur (L ‘Estrange), and finally leaves him. After three years she returns but leaves each evening, returning late arousing the suspicion of her husband. Having her followed he soon learns that she visits a child. Suspecting the worst because of her friendship with Dr. David Brett (Phillips), he institutes divorce proceedings. Edith confesses the truth about the child and Arthur, realizing his folly, swears off liquor and they are reunited.
Broad-minded rector Stephen Carey is ousted from his church by his vestrymen and befriends Claudia Bigelow, a young divorcée who defended his position in the church. Claudia's carelessness in leaving a cigarette burning causes Jimsy, the housekeeper's son, to go blind. Stephen's prayers restore the boy's sight, and a happy future is predicted for all.
Swindled out of her small property by crooked money lender Bogrum, Betty Lawrence turns to large estate owner and old friend Jim Carrington. On a tip supplied by Bolter, Bogrum's secretary, Jim investigates and after Bogrum's crooked dealings are exposed, and he is imprisoned, Betty and Carrington join their property through matrimony.
After eluding authorities, Jaca Javalie goes to the home of wealthy Theodore Banning, where he professes to be a man of magic who learned his skills in India. He demonstrates his ability by bringing peace to the Banning home. In actuality, he plans to rob Banning's private vault. When he tries to commit the robbery, he is stopped by a guest who promises to say nothing in exchange for a portion of the loot. Javalie makes another attempt to break into the vault, but the same power that he had exerted over the Banning family compels him to stop. He confesses what he had planned to do and wins the hand of Banning's daughter Nanette. A lost film.
Perryam is going through a round of bad luck; he is thrown out of school and loses at love. In search of a change, he heads for London, where he meets Audrey Nye, a former jazz baby who has gotten a responsible job on a newspaper. She helps Perryam get hired as a reporter.
Richard Castleman, master of Winnecrest Hall in Louisiana, goes on a sea voyage recommended by his cousin and physician, Harry Chilton, who thereupon begins romancing Castleman's fiancée, Jeanne Lamont. When word arrives of Castleman's death, Chilton prepares to usurp the fortune and property of the dead man. Danny Rowland, who is found wounded by two wandering crooks, Dominie and The Squirrel, opportunely arrives at the estate seeking food and rest; and because of his resemblance to Castleman, he is welcomed as the master. Dominie is introduced as an English cleric and The Squirrel as an Italian count, while Danny falls in love with Jeanne, who believes him to be her fiancé. Chilton, however, suspects the trio and finally unmasks them. It then develops that Danny actually is Castleman, who had decided to reform the two men who befriended him and to expose the dishonesty of his cousin.
A young South Seas native boy is sent to the U.S. for his education. He returns to his island after his father dies to try to stop a revolution.
John Stoval, a guard in a New York subway, thinks that Philip Hurd, who owns a concession at Coney Island, would make a good husband for his daughter Sophie. Sophie, however, has her sights set on Bill Hedges, the son of a wealthy farmer in upstate New York. Her father arranges for her to marry Hurd in exchange for a 25% interest in the concession, but matters come to a halt when John slips and falls off a subway platform and is injured.
Imprisoned at the French garrison on the Isle of St. Noir for putting to death a patient suffering from an incurable illness, Dr. Paul La Roche escapes to the mainland, where he meets Dr. Henry Fontaine, his boyhood friend, and Fontaine's beautiful sister, Yvonne. As Fontaine is going blind, La Roche performs several operations for him, attracting the attention of Dr. Renaud, in Algiers, who offers him a position. La Roche, practicing as Fontaine, reveals his love for Yvonne during an excursion to a Bedouin camp. Then, Lieutenant Destin, from the prison, arrives and threatens La Roche with exposure unless he surrenders the hand of Yvonne.
Auto racer Speed Carr enters a marathon race across the United States, from New York to Los Angeles. He encounters numerous obstacles not related to the race and must switch identities and vehicles before he can finish.