The theft of a sacred diamond band from a Hindoo shrine starts the action.

Elderly hidalgo, Alonso Quijano (played by DeWolf Hopper Sr.), becomes obsessed with tales of knights and chivalry to the point of losing his sanity. He renames himself "Don Quixote de la Mancha" and decides to become a knight-errant to right the wrongs of the world and defend the helpless. He designates a local peasant girl (Fay Tincher) as his noble lady "Dulcinea" and convinces a simple farmer, Sancho Panza (Max Davidson), to be his loyal squire with promises of an island governorship.

Old Man Hathaway was a trapper and lived with his only daughter in the mountains. Pretty Claudine often went forth to visit the traps with him and one day, when no bound, they saw a youth kiss a maiden affectionately. Seeing a chance for an object lesson, the old trapper sagely shook his head, saying, "My child, such kisses are poison. Guard against them."

The youthful monarch, Edward IV of England, is treacherously advised by Sir Stephen Fitz Allen, who is the King's boon companion, in favor of turning down the offer of Louis XI to cease the controversy that has been pending so long. The King, Edward IV, follows the advice of his companion and the French messenger meets with an insult, returning to the French court in a quandary.

Clifton Boyle, a lead actor in a disbanded theater troupe. Boyle returns home to find his sister dying; she reveals she married Harold Welles, another actor, who abandoned her and their deceased baby. Boyle swears vengeance on Welles. Boyle tracks Welles down and uses the theatrical world to enact his revenge, making a real-life drama out of his sister's tragedy.

Antone Tojetti and his pretty daughter, Maria, are street musicians in Venice. John Strom, an American millionaire, makes love to Maria, and finally persuades her to leave for America with him. Her father sees them just as they are leaving, but she will not return to him. Two years later, Maria, abandoned by John, returns to her father, who has now become a guide in the mountains. She dies and Antone vows vengeance. Some time after this, John Strom, now married, is touring Europe and he and his party seek a guide to visit Vesuvius. Antone takes the position. John not recognizing in him the father of Maria.

The old homestead involved had been passed from father to son and was about to be wrested from them by an avaricious corporation. Lawsuits were started, but the corporation managed to gain the best of the argument, when Ruth took the law into her own hands, held up the coach, and stored the big strong box in the bushes. Notices offering big rewards were posted conspicuously and Ruth lost her fortitude. The reward was increased, Ruth disclosed the location of the treasure, but refused the reward. The company's agent lost his nerve, and as appreciation, deeded back the old homestead to Ruth.

Francois Villon, vagabond, poet and philosopher, and his friend Colin, leave the vagabond camp and start for Paris. En route to that city, Villon's heart is touched at sight of the eviction of an elderly couple from their poor home. Whereupon he empties his own and Colin's purse, pays the Beadle, and then resume their journey. Overcome with the pangs of hunger, they "lift " the purses of a couple of corpulent monks. For this breach of law both Villon and Colin are arrested and thrown into prison. This film and By the Sun's Rays are two of Chaney's earliest surviving films.

A ghost story in which the prospective son-in-law agrees to stay in the haunted house. The girl's father plays ghost, but the tables are turned on him in an amusing manner.

The pretty dancer and the casual cowboy visitor at the cabaret fell in love. A Mexican waiter loved Chiquita. A Gringo get this dainty bundle of Spanish nerves and beauty? Never! He planned to destroy the cowboy lover by a drop of poison in his cup.

John Allen is in love with pretty Mabel Trude and the honor conferred upon Allen by the community, electing him sheriff, aids Allen in pressing his suit. The engagement is announced. Tom Trude, the brother of Mabel, is a sort of shiftless fellow and is exceedingly unlucky at cards. It required but little argument on the part of the acknowledged best man of the community to win Tom over to his gang, as he hopes to make good his losses at cards in some manner other than actual labor. The post office is held up and the sheriff called upon to bring the perpetrators to justice. A lively encounter is followed by the escape and pursuit of one of the men. The sheriff himself takes up the chase and successfully runs down the man. To his consternation, it proves to be Mabel's brother. He passes their home with the prisoner in tow. Mabel argues and pleads, but to no avail, and she finally plays her largest card--her love, against her brother's liberty

The army engineer and his daughter are deeply interested in each other, but, of course, the will of the father predominates. As a result the girl experiences many heart aches, because it does seem as though she is about to lose her sweetheart because he is not an army man. The issue is brought to a climax by the presence of a spy in the father's home. Plans for the border fortifications are stolen and the impending disgrace and ruin drive the officer to the verge of despair, from which he is rescued by the daughter and her sweetheart, who rescue the plans, and apprehend the spy.

The cheery smile of big-hearted Ed Daton, a simple Westerner, causes a little girl to sense the thrill of happiness. Her desire for a greater measure of this, to her unknown joy, prompts her to steal away from her abusive parents and wander back to the little station known as "Lonesome." She is taken in by big Ed and the other noble herdsman and develops under the new environment to a bright and cheerful maiden. Out of gratitude, she guards the welfare of her benefactors and prompts them to nobler deeds of manhood.

Young Cal Jim had often called upon Betty but never found the courage to propose. His pal, Mark Halworthy did, however, and Betty accepted. Disappointed, Cal asked and received a grubstake from Mark and went away into the hills to seek gold and heart balm. Two years later Mark took to gambling. He neglected Betty and, one day, intoxicated, struck her.

Bessie received a note from Uncle Dan along with a pony and was more than delighted with the handsome gift. Her sweetheart, Bill Walters, grew quite peeved at the way in which Bessie forgot him for her horse. Some days later Bessie's father, the sheriff, received a note that horse thieves were operating in his vicinity. He notified Bessie to watch carefully over her new pony and Bessie alert to the possibility, promptly rode to town to obtain a strong lock for the barn.

Pedro wanted Paquita and her father seconded his suit. But Paquita was in love with Paul Hapgood, an American, and would not hear of it. She wrote to Paul and told him to take her away.

Harry Reeder was a steady visitor at the cabaret and he visited with a single thought in mind - pretty Vail, the singer.

Molly, a slavey in a New York boarding house, is in love with Herbert, the butler at the house next door. They are engaged to be married. Molly is a sort of Cinderella, whom everybody in the boarding house picks on, especially Beth, an actress in search of a rich husband. A mysterious man comes to the place, and both Molly and Beth, because of his resemblance to a picture they have seen in the paper of the lost Lord Lovell, believe him to be none other than this titled Englishman, whom the trustees of his estate are seeking. Beth gets the stranger a place in her company, and the manager makes money featuring "the lost Lord Lovell." Meanwhile, Molly and the butler have been married. To celebrate their honeymoon they go to the theater. Coming out, they read in the paper about the hit Lord Lovell is making on Broadway and the story of his disappearance from England.