Florence Deshon

Jaffery Chayne is the spectacular one of four chums, the others being Hilary Freeth, a literary man, Adrian Boldero, a short story writer, and Tom Castleton, a playwright. The story opens with Tom Castleton going on a voyage for his health and leaving with his friend, Adrian, the manuscript of the first novel he ever attempted. Shortly after Castleton's trip, he dies at sea and when word is received by Adrian of his friend's death, the temptation to secure the girl he loves by publishing his friend's novel and taking the money and credit from it is so strong that he succumbs and becomes the "literary lion of the hour."

Nancy Bradshaw (Katherine MacDonald) is a popular stage star who quits her career to marry millionaire clubman Dick Cunningham (Charles Richman). But after a few years of marriage, he starts seeing other women. Figuring that her public was more faithful to her than her husband, Nancy returns to the stage.

Glamorous and wealthy French woman Jacqueline Cartaret considers marrying Ernest Augarde, the harmless bookworm who adores her, but finally selects a dashing count, Andre De Juvigny. Lucia De Morfontaine, a beautiful widow who had an affair with Andre before his marriage, still loves the handsome count and pursues him so ardently that Jacqueline soon becomes convinced of her husband's unfaithfulness.

John Sark is the owner of a piece of land coveted by Henry Murden, leader of the band of "White Riders," who has purloined the information that a railroad wishes to buy the property. Sark is a naturalist and has for an assistant Rose Ember. He discovers one of the rider's masks which is made of one of Rose's handkerchiefs, and this introduces a mysterious element into the love affair. The mask belonged to her father. The riders try to force Sark's hand, but are obliged to capture him. Rose, seeing Sark lead away, dons a mask and riding close to his horse, cuts his bonds. Sark kills Murden, and, finding that his savior was Rose, is once more happy in his love.

Sir Joseph and Lady Webbing are the foster parents of Marie-Louise. The couple are also in league with Verrinder, a German spy. When their work against England is discovered, they commit suicide. Marie-Louise, who has been an unwitting part of their schemes, is allowed to go to the U.S. if she promises to keep everything a secret.

Young Hugh Jordan, the nephew of the man who robbed the Winthrop children, is earning his living out west when he comes into the millions of his thieving old uncle. Hugh goes east and settles down to a life of ease and enjoyment. He is entertaining a stag party at his home when the butler announces the arrival of the Misses Winthrop.

Destitute, Hazel Farron is offered employment and comfort from bakery owner David Rogers. When Rogers' bakery slips into debt, he collapses from exhaustion and anxiety, forcing Hazel to turn to former admirer Geoffrey Stanhope for financial aid. Stanhope consents in return for a night alone with Hazel, but when she arrives at his hotel room for the appointed tryst, she discovers Stanhope waiting with Rogers and a minister so that Hazel can marry her employer.

Patriotism, love and treason in the United States during the First World War. Barker manages to give every scene the right climate through inventive use of color. From semi-documentary to cruel melodrama.

When Sally McTurk's husband is murdered, her brother Ken Thornton goes into hiding and winds up in a small mountain community, using a phony name. He's taken in by a local family, the Harpers. A mutual attraction soon develops between Thornton and the family's daughter, Dorothy, but a local bully who has designs of his own on Dorothy sets out to have Ken killed.

Letty Shell, a clerk in a London brokerage office, is discouraged by her lack of fine clothes and social position. She becomes infatuated with Nevill Letchmere, a debonair idler from a good family, and believes that he wants to marry her, but after her boss, Bernard Mandeville, who has risen to power and wealth, and who wants to marry Letty, warns Letchmere to keep away from her, Letchmere confesses that he is married. Disappointed, Letty accepts Mandeville's proposal, but when she sees Mandeville's boorishness in a restaurant, she returns to Letchmere. Just as she is about to become his mistress, Letchmere receives word that his married sister has eloped with a lover. When he curses his sister for acting like a "shop girl," Letty realizes that he views her and her class without respect. She leaves and accepts the love of her faithful friend Richard Perry, a poor photographer, whose rich uncle is going to help him in business

After surviving a deadly card game standoff, a saloon owner tracks down the gambler who cheated him and stranded a woman in the wilderness, only to discover the woman has died and left behind twins that he adopts and raises.

Businessman John Lawson is seriously injured in an accident, his wife Ruth travels from their New England village to New York to find a job that will support them both. Ruth works in a sweatshop at first, but then makes it big on Broadway.

Frivolous Jasmine Grenfel is torn between the bold Rudyard Byng and the reserved Ian Stafford. Impulsively she marries Byng with the rejected Stafford leaving for South Africa. He proves to be a poor husband, and much heartache follows but when war breaks out Rudyard distinguishes himself in the field, recovering from his former dissipation and the couple are reunited.