Harry's father is killed in a gunfight, and his mother makes him swear he'll never again use his gun, and rely only on his bare fists. But when his little brother is branded on the chest by cattle rustlers, will Harry break his promise?

The O'Donnells are a typical, everyday family -- Tad (George Hernandez) is a sensible working man, his wife (Fannie Midgely) is a good mother and their daughter Kathleen (Constance Binney) is pretty and innocent to the point of naiveté. Kathleen works in a factory and its owner, Donald Holiday (Warner Baxter), has taken a shine to her. But instead she falls for slick cab driver Harry Stanton (George Webb), who insists, "Honest, kid, you're the only girl I ever loved." Kathleen falls for this, and when her perceptive father makes clear he doesn't approve of Stanton, she moves out on her own.

Sadie Sullivan leaves Ireland to live with her married sister in New York. Troubled by her worthless brother-in-law, discouraged with her low-paying five-and-dime-store job, Sadie reads a story about a chorus girl who married a millionaire, she decides to join a musical-comedy company. Having befriended mission clergyman Reverend John Page, Sadie reads a Bible backstage and is surprised at the other girls' loose morals. Her "saintly" reputation among the others inspires press agent Jack Mills, looking for a new angle, to devise a routine built around Sadie, now billed as "The Saintly Show Girl."

In her sixteenth year, Wing Toy learns how as an infant she was brought to Wong, a Chinese laundryman, by a former convict known as The Mole and that her father was Chinese and her mother American. Later, to give her a better home, Wong pledged her in marriage to Yen Low, a powerful and unscrupulous underworld figure, when she would come of age. Yen Low plans to divorce his American wife, White Lily, and marry Wing Toy. The intervention of reporter Bob Harris leads to the release of Wing Toy; Yen Low is killed by White Lily; and Wing Toy's engagement to the reporter becomes possible when it is revealed that she is the daughter of the district attorney.

The story of Helen Keller and how she overcame her disabilities.

Death reviews the life of a mean, miserly old woman.

"Kaintuck" Ridge (Carey), refused admission to the local militia to fight on the side of Union in the American Civil War, joins a gang of marauders and at the end of the conflict finds himself a fugitive with a price on his head.

Signa Herrick, a stenographer whose skills leave much to be desired, finds out that her boss is keeping her on only because he's a friend of her recently deceased father. Embarrassed, she leaves her small Wisconsin town for New York to live with her married sister, Janet. She quickly proceeds to get mixed up with jewel thieves, detectives, an alcoholic millionaire and his greedy, scheming relatives.

Harry and Tillie are preparing to elope when her dad appears and boots his would-be son-in-law out of the house. Tillie is locked up in her room, and to regain her liberty feigns illness and apparently swoons. Dad is troubled and telephones for a doctor. Harry, who is hovering around the corner, sees the doctor coming and bribes him to help him in a scheme to see Tillie.

After a young inventor discovers a powerful new explosive, agents from a German chemical firm induce him to study at a German university. While there, he is repelled by certain aspects of the people, and he leaves for Belgium. When the war begins, the inventor saves a Belgian burgomaster's daughter from Prussian invaders. The inventor and the girl endure horrible suffering because of the war, but they find happiness at its end, while the formerly fighting nations direct their effort towards world peace at the Paris conferences. The assassination of Kurt Eisner of Bavaria occurs at the end.

Beebe, a Belgian peasant girl of rare beauty, sells flowers in the marketplace where she meets unscrupulous artist Victor Fleming. Fleming eventually succeeds in making the innocent girl love him, much to the sorrow of Jeanot, a farm boy who loves the girl. Fleming has a sweetheart, however, Lady Magda, who begs Beebe not to take Fleming from her. The artist rejects Lady Magda but leaves Beebe behind when he returns to Paris. Beebe pines for her artist lover, and later, hearing that Fleming is ill, she goes to him. Arriving at his studio in the middle of a wild orgy, Beebe's illusions are shattered. She returns home to her village and accepts the simple love of Jeanot.

Ann Lytton arrives in a small Arizona town just as ranchman Bruce Baynard brings a man into the hotel who is unconscious from drink. The man proves to be Ann's husband Ned, whom Bruce takes to his ranch in order to reform. When Ann comes to visit, Ned accuses her of having an affair with Bruce and, to punish her, he forces her to go to the mine which he has swindled from Benny Lynch's father. Fearing Lynch's vengeance, Bruce has warned Ann not to allow Ned near the mine, and so Ann sends Bruce an "SOS" via his horse Abe. Bruce manages to save Ned, but Lynch finally exacts his revenge by killing him, thus freeing Ann to marry Bruce.

Jack Darling of the North West Mounted Police is ordered to track down and arrest murderer Alec Young, whose girl, Dancing Pete, performs in the Nugget dance hall. En route to Nugget, Jack meets Hope Ross, who is caring for her sister's baby. Although the two fall in love, the outlook for a happy romance appears hopeless, because he believes that she is a married mother, and she thinks that he is an outlaw.

Thinking that he has lost both his money and his beloved Nora's in a bad investment young New Yorker Ted Ewing arranges for his own murder. Suddenly he discovers the money is safe and has in fact doubled and sets out to cancel the contract on his life. But will he be able to do so in time?

After being orphaned and rejected by her reluctant relatives, Aunt Martha and Judge Trent, Sylvia Lacey is sent to live at a Maine farm managed by a kind man named Thinkright. While there, she becomes captivated by a deserted, shuttered Tide Mill, believing only love can "open its shutters." Sylvia eventually discovers a passion for painting and falls in love with John Dunham, the Judge’s law partner. Though she initially believes John is engaged to her friend Edna, he eventually confesses his love for her. In the end, John surprises Sylvia by revealing he has purchased the Tide Mill and converted it into a professional art studio for her, fulfilling her metaphor that love would finally open the mill's shutters.

Saul Chadron, a brutal cattle baron, is distressed that homesteaders are intruding on his domain and hires outlaws to drive them away.

Priscilla Worth, an innocent country girl, goes to the city to visit her aunt, who has sent for her, thinking that her childlike simplicity will afford a welcome relief to Vincent Morgan, a wealthy bachelor and man-about-town. The plan works, but soon after Vincent and Priscilla's marriage, Vincent, besieged by his friends to return to his gay life and suspicious of his wife's relationship with Durant--an artist who has painted her portrait--yields to temptation.

A girl is hypnotized and kidnapped by the swami her aunt is devoted to.

Harry's bride is murdered at their wedding along with Harry's mother and father, and the good-hearted outlaw turns grimly malevolent.

A young woman is hired as a governess for the son of a man grieving the loss of his wife. The governess's presence is unwelcome to the rest of the family, especially after the governess develops a romantic attachment to her employer.