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Wally Griggs, a timid bank messenger, lives another life as a dashing young sport whose tales of wild adventure interest bank president Halliday and romantically fascinate Mary, who has been swindled out of a fortune by Thaine, now district attorney. When Wally decides to hide some bank bonds and is arrested by Thaine, he sues for false imprisonment and wins back Mary's money. He then returns the bank funds, pretending aphasia, and decides to become an author.

Puritanical Abel Blake is planning to marry the domestically oriented Joan when she is called away to a neighboring fishing village to care for her sick uncle. In her absence, Abel falls under the corrupting influence of some friends who take him to Ryan's, a notorious dance hall, where he meets seductress Glory Prada. Glory determines to make a conquest of Abel, who gradually falls under her spell and finally marries her. After learning of the news, Abel's mother dies of grief and Joan marries Dave, a fisherman. Abel is ostracized by the townspeople because of their animosity towards his wife, who soon tires of him and elopes with Jose Silva, proprietor of a traveling circus. Several years pass, during which time Glory is shot to death by Jose and Dave drowns in a storm, leaving behind Joan and their two children. Abel agrees to care for Joan's son, but in a fit of despondency decides to drown himself. As he enters the water, his ward cries after him and Abel regains his will to live. Later, when Joan comes to visit her son, she and Abel reunite and start life anew.

Civil engineer Robert Clay (Norman Kerry) is commissioned by wealthy New Yorker Mr. Langham to open iron deposits in the tiny South American republic of Olancho. General Mendoza (Wallace Beery), the unscrupulous head of the army, unsuccessfully tries to persuade President Alvarez, and then Clay, to divide the spoils of the contract. Mendoza begins a revolution against Alvarez, but Clay and his men set out to stop the plan. Meanwhile, Mr. Langham arrives with his two enchanting daughters, Alice (Anna Q. Nilsson) and Hope (Pauline Starke), on board a yacht owned by Reginald King, Alice's suitor. Clay's long-lived attraction for Alice has been met with coldness, but Hope wins his heart by shooting down some of Mendoza's men when they try to kill him. After a savage battle, and the arrival of a U.S. battleship with sailors, Mendoza is finally beaten.

William Grogan (James Kirkwood), lives in New York city and meets the outside world only through the little basement window of his plumbing shop. One day he sees and falls in love with a pretty pair of feet, belonging to Ruth Warren (Anna Q. Nilsson), a schoolteacher who is lusted after by Norton Colburton, a dissolute playboy. Ruth is about to marry Colburton, but at the last minute runs away and decides to take a Cook's tour. On the boat, she meets Grogan, who has inherited a fortune, and recognizing the feet, he falls in love with their owner. Meanwhile, Colburton sends a henchman to locate Ruth. In various foreign cities, Grogan is attacked and Ruth is accosted by Colburton, who has followed her. Finally, Ruth is imprisoned in a house of prostitution, Grogan comes to her rescue, and the two are married.

Ranch hand Tommy Dawes has a special bond with little Rosemary, the crippled daughter of his boss Bill Nyall. When Tommy accidentally breaks Rosemary's favorite doll one day, he borrows a $20 gold piece from the foreman's mattress to go to town and buy a new doll. However, on the way there he is ambushed and robbed by an escaped convict, and later the sheriff mistakes Tommy for the con and arrests him. Complications ensue.

Will Clayton is superstitious clean through. He is ridiculed for his superstitions--fired because of them--becomes involved in a murder mystery--is seized by bandits--scorned by the girl--but clings to his amulets and his horseshoe. Finally, when the girl agrees to marry him if he will throw away his silly amulets and horseshoe, he seizes her in his arms, throws a horseshoe out of the window and it knocks the gun from his rival's hand just as he is about to fire.