Wastrel New York millionaire Roland Van Dam travels to New Orleans during Mardi Gras, looking for adventure and romance. Because the costume he is wearing includes a red gardenia, he is mistaken for escaped prisoner Emile Le Duc by a woman (who turns out to be a long-lost cousin) who was to meet Le Duc, who was to be wearing a red gardenia. It turns out that Le Duc is the head of a vicious gang of counterfeiters, and Roland winds up getting in more adventures than he had hoped for.

The daughter of a sea captain, the heroine falls in with a bad crowd and is soon working as a "hostess" (wink! wink!) in a cheap waterfront dive.

Nancy Glenn is a pupil in Pop Hogland's school for crooks. When, attired as a boy named "Spider", Nancy fails at her lessons as a pickpocket, Pop decides to pair her with Pliny Drew, a graduate thief and swindler.

Pidetta, a notorious French woman and leader of one of Paris' worst gangs of crooks, lives in a beautiful chateau which contains an underground palace. She reads in the papers of the arrival at the best hotel of Betty Hoffman, her mother and fiancé, an American millionaire. She decides to make Betty her next victim... .

Disgusted with his son Harvey's attitude since his return from college, wealthy William Ogden turns the boy out to make his own way in the world. Harvey finally lands in the Canadian North Woods, where he goes into business with Joe Dubois, a hunter and trapper. One day while Harvey is trapping, his leg is caught in a steel trap. He is rescued by A-Che-Chee, the daughter of Black Lynx the Indian Chief. A-Che-Chee takes Harvey to her cabin, where she dresses his wound. When her father and brother discover Harvey there, they insist upon an immediate marriage. Harvey protests, but finally agrees in order to maintain the good will of the Indians.

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.

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

Two thieves burgle a necklace from a policeman, but then begin to quarrel between themselves, leading to a shootout.

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

Three women, each living in a separate social sphere, work out their destinies in New York.