The Eye of the Night

Unhappy with her daughter's choice to marry a miner instead of her choice, a man of wealth, a mother tries to convince her daughter to get an abortion.

Lord Anthony Crackenthorpe engages the help of a zoologist's widow to help him write a book about his favorite subject, spiders. She moves into his mansion with her impetuous daughter Peggy. Anthony's mother is very worried that her son, heir to the Crackenthorpe estate may become involved with Peggy. She asks her younger son Jimmy to keep company with the young girl.

Weak-willed Roy Hanford, driven from his father's house by the coldness of his stone-hearted wife and the sanctimonious attitude of his father, the deacon, flees to the city.

When Nora Nolan, a poor bargain-basement clerk, faints from the heat, she is told to take a vacation. Reporter Jimmie Norton, the son of a millionaire, witnesses the incident and sends her an anonymous $200 check. Nora stays at a fashionable seaside hotel, where Jimmie happens to be pitching for the hotel baseball team after he is fired from the newspaper.

For 15 years, wealthy widow Marise Jaffrey has searched for her daughter Mary, who was taken away as an infant by her father and subsequently disappeared after he was killed in a train accident. Mary Healy, a stenographer who has helped in the search, learns that Mrs. Healy is not her real mother. At the same time, Mary's resemblance to the missing girl leads Mrs. Jaffrey to investigate further and discover that Mary is her daughter. Mary then goes to live in the Jaffrey home, but runs away because of the snobbish attitudes of Mrs. Jaffrey's friends. Henry Martin, a printer's foreman, tells Mrs. Jaffrey of his love for Mary. Mary's mother and foster mother reconcile themselves when they see Mary's happiness over her forthcoming marriage.

Myrtle Gross escapes her abusive, alcoholic husband, Jim, taking their baby to Alaska with money and a ticket stolen from Tom Winters. She builds a new life, but years later, her past resurfaces when Jim, having traced her, arrives to confront her, threatening her new existence.

After Barbara Martin, a naïve young convent girl, elopes with her guardian's degenerate brother, Barton Sedgewick, she discovers that Barton already has a wife and child. Barton then deserts both wives, leaving Barbara to turn to her guardian George Sedgewick for advice. George advises an immediate divorce, but Barbara takes no action until she meets John Brent and falls in love. Upon requesting that George arrange her divorce from Barton, Barbara discovers that Brent is her guardian's lawyer. Panicked for fear of Brent discovering her marriage, Barbara's quandary is resolved when she discovers Barton in his partner Rhodes' apartment. Through Barton's carelessness, Barbara is able to obtain documents which prove that his first marriage was valid, thereby nullifying their marriage and freeing her to marry Brent.

Easygoing Barbara Townsend is never jealous and allows her husband, Richard (Harrison Ford), to come and go as he pleases. Townsend, however, takes her considerate nature as neglect and he believes that Barbara has ceased to love him. Vampy Dorothy Mitchell convinces Townsend that he should seek a divorce, which he does, and Barbara is too proud to object.

Dr. Dudley Duprez is a well-known Louisiana physician. His beautiful but wayward niece, Rose Duprez, is abducted by Paul Crenshaw, a friend of the doctor, and to prevent her shame from becoming known, Rose kills herself. Dr. Duprez learns her secret and determines to make Crenshaw expiate his crime. While traveling on a Mississippi River steamer, the doctor wins Mercedes, a beautiful slave, at cards. He takes her home and, passing her off as a distant relative, arranges it so that Crenshaw falls in love with the girl.

Ben Anderson, factor of the trading station, impatient with his daughter Anne's coquetries, calls all the trappers to him and promises to wed her to the one who brings back the most valuable catch of furs in the spring. Anne fancies herself in love with Henri Levesnue, a Frenchman. So when he is reported to have brought in the biggest prize she is delighted. But the following day, Joe Eagle, a quarter-breed, reaches the station with twice Henri's catch, Ben insists that Anne marry Joe, but she swears she never could become the wife of the French Indian, and because he really loves her, Joe, who has overheard her protestations, hides half his furs under his cabin floor. Anne is married to Henri, but in a few months is very unhappy. He is a heavy drinker; he neglects her, and at last, being penniless, he steals a bale of furs from the station. The factor sets Joe to catch the thief.

Country girl Annabel Lee has big dreams of being a famous artist. Her widowed mother encourages her to go to the city so she can study. Annabel works hard, but she sells only one painting. She discovers that a renowned artist is spending the summer at a nearby resort, so she sends him her best work for a critique. A friend recommends that she see him in person, so Annabel pawns a piece of jewelry and heads for the resort. The artist informs her that she doesn't have enough talent to achieve much.

Spinster sisters Sophronia and Angelica Pennington of Massachusetts refuse to meet Dolores, the bride of their nephew Jack, because she formerly was an actress. After Dolores receives word that Jack died at the front in France, she moves in with Gloria Grey, who barely supports herself by giving singing lessons. Soon Gloria's money dwindles and her creditors become threatening. When Dolores learns that she will inherit $5,000 from Jack's estate, she refuses to accept it out of pride, but Gloria convinces Dolores that they should go to Pennington Manor with their identities switched. Gloria impresses the aunts when she says that her godmother is a duchess. She and Jack's brother Steven fall in love, and when he is notified to report to naval duty, he proposes that they marry immediately. They then learn that Jack is alive. When Jack finds out that his wife was about to marry his brother, he starts to leave brokenhearted, but he sees the real Dolores and matters are straightened out.

Molly is a wife of wealthy Britisher Sam Thornhill. Though devoutly loyal to her husband, the capricious Molly can't seem to avoid getting herself into compromising situations. The limit comes when a pair of Molly's stockings find their way into the boudoir of another man.

When playwright Curtis de Forest Ralston becomes enamored of actress Viola Strathmore, who is to appear in his play Vanity, Viola induces him to change certain parts and give her more lines. Curtis, who is not as talented as he believes himself to be, fails at his job but is saved by his wife Anita, a former actress, who has forsaken her career for marriage. Anita and her old manager, Bruce Winthrope, fashion the play to suit Viola, and Vanity becomes a huge success. The play's triumph enlarges Curtis's ego even further, and he deserts Anita for Viola.

Pat Dugan puts his last penny into oil prospecting and finds the oil. He deserts the old shack for his idea of what a palace should be and sends Jimmie to college. Jimmie promptly thrashes three of the students and polishes off the policeman who interferes. Then he leaves college for a partnership in a nursery business with a young Italian. Pat moves east and settles next door to Lady Blessington, but supposes the placid old lady who fraternizes with his wife to be the house- keeper. Jimmy turns up and falls in love with Joyce, Lady Blessington's god-daughter and marries her in spite of his father's commands, but when Pat sees how it all comes out he takes the full credit to himself.