Elsie Green cannot decide which of her two suitors to marry. When she reads Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story "Feathertop", she dreams that she is its heroine Polly Goodkin, and this leads to her final decision.

Jacqueline Roland, the daughter of a backwoodsman, meets Henri Dubois during a visit to the city, but is unresponsive to his attentions. Henri later takes charge of the lumber camp where Jacqueline lives, and is closely followed by Li Chang, who is blackmailing him to keep secret a murder he committed years earlier. The new boss is determined to win Jacqueline for himself and convinces her lover, Raoul Radon, that she no longer cares for him. When Li Chang kidnaps Jacqueline, Henri comes to claim her and an oil lamp is upset during the ensuing struggle. As the fire spreads into the forest, Jacqueline escapes with Li Ching in pursuit. She and Raoul are reunited, while Henri perishes in the blaze.

Long before he was the subject of a Walt Disney TV miniseries, Revolutionary-era guerilla leader Francis Marion, aka the Swamp Fox, was the "star" of this three-reel Kalem costume drama. The first part of the film ends as Marion and his followers capture English general Gates right from under the noses of the "Redcoats." The closing scenes find Marion and company emerging victorious from a battle between the British and the Colonials at the DeMotte farm.

Bronson Howard's Great Civil War Story in Three Reels, Featuring General Philip Sheridan's Ride from Winchester, 20 Miles Away.

On his wedding eve Henry Halleck opens a sealed envelope which has been handed down to each generation, and learns that the family is cursed with a lust for drink. He signs the pledge which bears the signatures of his fathers.

Hampton, a broker, employs a detective to investigate Stella, a show girl, with whom his younger brother Dick is in love. As a result of the detective's discoveries, Dick breaks his engagement with Stella. The woman calls at Dick's office late that afternoon. Hampton leaves the two alone. Unable to alter Dick's decision, Stella seizes a knife and threatens suicide. Dick tries to wrest the weapon from her and is accidentally killed.

Donald Hall discovers that his wife is engaged in a flirtation with Major Humphreys. The husband forbids Marion to see the man again. Despite this injunction, the woman accompanies Humphries to a road house with a party of friends, while Donald is at a directors' meeting. A fire breaks out and destroys the road house. Marion and Humphreys barely escape. Fearing to return home, the woman heeds Humphreys' pleas and elopes with him. Her handbag is found in the ruins of the building. Donald is led to believe his wife dead.

Foster sister of the Duchess d'Aubeterre, Madeline, marries Jean Renaud, a French soldier, and has a daughter named Adrienne. Five years later, on a battlefield, Renaud is entrusted by the Count de Moray with jewels and papers proving that Adrienne is his heir. After Moray's death, Renaud gives everything to Madeline and then returns to the battle.

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.

Jack Fisher secures a position as reporter on a metropolitan daily and incurs the enmity of Martin, the star reporter, because of friendly relations which he establishes with Myrtle, a young lady in the office. Martin secretly changes the copy which Jack has prepared for an important story and places the young man in such a position that he is discharged. Some time later Jack learns of an opening in Central America. He bids goodbye to Myrtle, who has never lost faith in him, and leaves for his new field. Shortly after his departure war is declared in a Central American republic and Martin is sent to the scene as war correspondent.