Mary Adams, about to visit relatives in a distant part of the country, is entrusted to the care of Manuel Bond. The girl's beauty inflames Bond, a gambler and a scoundrel. That night, when the stagecoach halts, Mary is horrified to discover that Bond has registered for both as man and wife. The gambler turns a deaf ear to the girl's frantic pleas. After locking her in the room, the scoundrel proceeds to the barroom. Mary escapes by means of the window. The girl comes upon a party of settlers. Mary joins the party. Later, the girl meets Kit, a young backwoodsman. It is a case of love at first sight and the two are married the same day.

Unable to purchase the formula of the explosive about to be sold to the government by Mallott, the representative of a foreign power orders Le Farge and Gabrielle to obtain it. Gabrielle, posing as Le Farge's sister, easily fascinates Fanshell, Mallott's secretary. The adventuress also meets David, a fisherman, and engages him in a violent flirtation.

Basil, sent to a West Indian island to look after his brother's interests, so antagonizes the planters that they form a secret organization for the purpose of throwing off the Harcourt yoke. Irene, who has just inherited her father's plantation, refuses to join. Basil is later slain under circumstances which cause Irene to believe herself the murderess.

On the day of their marriage, Ruth discovers that her sweetheart, Jasper King, is the proprietor of a gambling establishment. Denouncing the man, Ruth declares that she will not become Jasper's wife until he has given all his ill-gotten wealth to charity. Jasper obeys Ruth's demands.

The vivid tale of a woman's passionate intrigue and a moan's loyal friendship blended in a tale that surges with strong emotions and suspense that holds in a vice-like grip.

Just as he is appointed guardian of his niece, Helen, aged John Graham dies. Butts, his valet, conceives the idea of assuming Graham's identity. Aided by Stone, the rascally butler, Butts plans to send Helen to an insane asylum and seize her fortune.

Discovered by Marston in the act of robbing the safe, Mann, the crook, shoots and slays him. The murderer escapes, carrying with him a casket containing jewels. So strongly do circumstances point to Lyda, Marston's daughter, as the slayer, that she is tried for the crime. Despite the evidence of the butler and other servants, who tell of a violent quarrel between Lyda and her father just prior to the shooting, the girl is acquitted.

Patrolman Killegren, seated alone in his home, is startled by the sound of shooting. Rushing outside, he meets several officers who inform him that two thieves, attempting to escape, had entered his cottage. Positive that no one had entered the house, Killegren conducts the policemen through the building. The father is startled, upon entering his son Alex's room, to find the boy at home. Knowing that his son could not have been in the room more than five minutes, Killegren is filled with a terrible suspicion.

Compelled to keep house for her father and her younger sister and brother, Martha is deprived of all the pleasures of youth. Ned, who loves her, begs her to elope with him. Martha yields, but while on the way to the minister, decides that her duty lies back home with her father. Heart-broken, Ned leaves for the city.

Lynn and Alan both love Mary. Because he deems it his duty to support his widowed mother, Lynn hides his love although he is the favored suitor. Piqued, Mary becomes Alan's wife. Both boys work in the village bank. Lynn comes upon Alan while the latter is intoxicated and helps him home. Thus Lynn meets Mary for the first time since her marriage. Alan witnesses this meeting. His jealousy aroused, the man orders Lynn from his house. Obsessed by a desire for revenge, Alan steals a sum of money from the bank and falsifies Lynn's books so as to make it appear that the latter had committed the crime.