Charles Spere

Pegeen O'Neill must fend for herself when her father Dan becomes mentally unbalanced after his wife Mary's death. Dan spends his days searching for his wife, setting fires in the belief that the flames will illuminate his Mary. The townspeople, enraged at the arson that is slowly destroying their village, track down Dan and trap him in a burning cabin. Pegeen rushes to comfort her dying father, who consoles himself at death with the hallucination that his wife has returned in the figure of his daughter. Pegeen is then rescued from the raging fire by Jimmie, who proposes to the waif as he delivers her from the flames.

Bob, John, and Edward--three young boys growing up in the same neighborhood--have vastly-different experiences with sex. Bob's father patiently explains "the birds and the bees" to him, and even takes him to a hospital to see the effects of venereal disease.

A girl known as "Boots," who keeps house for a band of crooks led by her kind guardian, Uncle Ben, called "The Lion," demands that she be allowed to accompany them on a burglary. Dressed in boy's clothes, Boots is caught by Mrs. Kathryn Sylvester, a rich society widow, who, upon learning that Boots is a girl, resolves to avenge herself on James Graham, who refused to marry her stating that he wanted no stain on his lineage.

Young and spunky Alannah, an Irish immigrant living in a tenement, sells newspapers to support her family. She is soon helping a district attorney secure proof that the unjust town mayor is collecting bribes. For her reward, Alannah and her boyfriend Jimmy are appointed managers of a municipal restaurant.

During World War I, young Englishman Hawtrey Burke captivates New York society with his charming manner and his skill at polo, but he incurs the scorn of the woman he loves, Elinor Warden, who, having recently returned from war-torn Belgium, cannot understand why Hawtrey is not on the front lines.

Carteret, an artist, adopts Célestine, a French orphan who gives evasive answers to questions about a certain young "man", her close acquaintance. A detective observes the movements of Célestine and the mysterious stranger, whom he believes is involved in a murder case. The artist, realizing that he is in love with his adopted daughter, is about to propose to her when she "runs away" with the stranger, who is actually the girl he had adopted and who has married an army officer, with Célestine acting as his proxy. Delighted by the turn of events, Carteret decides to marry Célestine immediately.

When wealthy cattleman Bart Masters (Jack Holt) comes East, he falls in love with social butterfly Avice Bereton (Enid Bennett). She marries Bart for his money, all the while promising to continue her romance with society doctor Van Fleet (Donald MacDonald). Bart knows what's going on behind his back, but he insists that Avice return with him to his ranch and at least make an effort to be a dutiful wife.

Mary O'Rourke, an Irish immigrant, arrives in America to find her friend Norah and their baby deserted by Norah's husband, John Stuyvesant, later claiming to be his cousin and finding a way to prove John married Norah, leading to a happy ending for all.