Ronald, heir to Lord Earle in Earlescourt, England, secretly loves Dora Thorne, a desirable but working-class woman. When Lord Earle hears of the relationship, he brings Valentine Charteris to the estate to distract his lovesick son. True to his love, however, Ronald refuses Valentine and marries Dora. After emigrating to Italy, Ronald earns a modest living as a painter, and Dora gives birth to twins. When Ronald receives a generous commission to paint a portrait, he asks Dora to pose for him, but overly preoccupied with the children, she refuses. Wounded by the rejection, Ronald calls on Valentine Charteris and quickly becomes infatuated with her, forcing Dora to return to Earlescourt with the twins.

An innocent man, serving a sentence of five years in prison through the perjured testimony of the real criminal, Steve Carson, foreman of a shipyard, strikes up a warm friendship with his cellmate, Harold Norwood, a defaulting paying teller. No less strange than their friendship is the befriending of Steve's wife, Annie, by Julia Seymour, prima donna, who is Norwood's wife. As a reward of good behavior, the men are released on Christmas morning. Annie is bewildered by the receipt of a bank book which shows that large deposits of gold have been made in her name and that of her sister, Mary, by their uncle, George Hosford, who, dying in Alaska, has entrusted the book to Joe Hawes, a fellow prospector.

Roscoe begins work on his new job as janitor of the Shortacre Building in New York. While performing his duties he enters the offices of a broker, I. Steele. The broker is out, but his wife, who knows that her husband expects a rich customer in with a check for $10,000 to close an option, mistakes Roscoe for this Mr. R.U. Stout of Showme, Missouri. Thinking to be of assistance to her husband in his business, Mrs. Steele is very affable and finally invites the supposed Mr. Stout to go to luncheon with her. Steele returns with the necessary papers and is told by his office boy that his wife has gone to a gay café with the new janitor.

Former newsboy and jockey Joe Braxton, becomes a millionaire rancher and decides to visit New York. He soon becomes the prey of swindler Tom Linson and socialite Viola Grayson. Linson defrauds Braxton's old employer, Colonel Downs, and attempts to corrupt Eleanor, the colonel's daughter. When Eleanor learns that Linson intends to destroy Joe on the stock exchange, she warns him, disregarding Linson's threat to ruin her reputation. Eleanor is too late, but Joe recovers his losses by riding Mongrel to victory in the Kentucky Futurity, after having stacked his last dollar on the horse's success.

Willfull, headstrong and inclined to be sporty, but withal, a very lovable girl, Thomasin Webb (called Tommy for short) keeps her Aunt Sarah, with whom she lives, on the jump. Guy Dunbar becomes deeply interested in Tommy, first from a psychological point of view, then fascinated by her personality. George Hilton, a society rounder, is after Tommy's money

Woman Against Woman is a tale of two sisters. Bessie, the older and more sensible one, is forever losing her boyfriends to Miriam, the younger, prettier and flightier of the two. While "doing the town," Miriam is lured into the apartment of a pair of letches named Crooke and Craven, who ply her with drugged liquor, then have their way with her. Holding Bessie's libertine friend, Rachel, responsible for all this, she heads to Rachel's flat and tries to strangle the life out of the woman. She also sees to it that Crooke and Craven are thrown out of their lodgings for their wanton behavior

Paul Sturgess is engaged to Grace Van Austin. At a party at their Newport home, Grace flirts with Howard Esterbrook leading to a fight between the two men. Later that night, a servant witnesses Paul, with a revolver entering Esterbrook's room. The servant follows, sees a hand emerging from a window curtain, stab Esterbrook then vanish mysteriously. Paul is arrested based on circumstantial evidence. Six months later, a woman known as "The Woman of Mystery" is shot during a raid while trying to assist the police. Moved by hearing about Paul's denied pardon and impending execution, the "Woman of Mystery" reveals information to the detective leading the raid. This revelation leads to a call to the Sing Sing Warden just in time to halt Paul's electrocution.

Sir Philip Randall, a prominent judge, is fed up with the antics of James, his scapegrace son, and tosses him out of the house. The conflict between father and son leaves Mrs. Randall heartbroken, and when she dies, she makes her husband swear to help James if he ever needs it. When Joe Merrion, a bookmaker, is found dead, circumstantial evidence points to Squire William Rufford. Although Randall can't believe he committed the crime, he is forced to convict him and sentence him to prison. But later, when James, whose wild ways have left him penniless, comes to his father for help, Randall discovers that he was the killer.

It was a hard struggle Mina, the little lace-maker, had with the world, supplying the needs of herself and her crippled little sister. An expensive brace was necessary. There was only one way left. Mina decided to sell her hair. So her romantic young landlord bought it. Of course, being human, we know the end, but Mina didn't.

With a parting kiss, Betty Lane, a fisherman's daughter, and John Monroe, promise to meet later in the day at their trysting place on the seashore. Betty returns to keep the appointment and is waiting but a moment when a wealthy young yachtsman comes ashore for provisions. He flits with Betty and Betty's heart is lost. John arrives to find his sweetheart in the stranger's arms. Betty ignores John's protests and agrees to the newcomer's proposal that she pack her things, meet him in half an hour and elope. John hides and awaits their return. The yachtsman is the first to arrive. He has his provisions and has not forgotten a bottle of stimulant, most of which he has already consumed. John thrashes him for stealing his girl, throws him into his rowboat, and orders him to get aboard his yacht and not to return. On board the yacht the intoxicated yachtsman drops a match near the oil tank.

This is not a romance but the biography of the man who now leads our vast forces in France. It shows him from boyhood to his present high command, and the story of his life tells why Pershing was selected to lead the American forces overseas and how he has his own personal account to settle with the ruthless Hun.