La falena

Molly Boone's father has been sent to prison for twenty years for alleged complicity in the killing of a revenue officer, Uriah Hudson, whom she secretly suspects of having a hand in sending her father to prison, is her persistent suitor.

Mabel Mack's mother is deserted by her father and the mother dies. All that Mabel retains of her family history is a group photograph of her father, mother and herself, in a locket which she always wears.

The will of old Dr. Andrews left the bulk of his property to his niece, Mary, who was an orphan living in a distant mining town. The small balance of his wealth went to a married nephew, John, who had been practicing medicine with him and was now made the executor of his estate, but who felt that he should have been made the sole heir.

Laura Bell runs away from her country home to the city, where she becomes a clerk in a department store. Her brother, Frank, follows her to New York, but is unable to place her. He becomes interested in a settlement house and obtains a position in social service work. Mary Ashton, daughter of the proprietor of the store where Laura works, is shocked to find that her father pays his clerks starvation wages.

Oliver and Elizabeth wed. He is a famous lawyer, careless of his personal conduct, but has implicit faith in Elizabeth. She is a woman of strong mind, a magazine writer of repute, and believes he should guide himself by the same code that governs her. Two of their associates are profligates, Charles, an artist, and Catherine. Oliver trifles with Catherine and this so embitters Elizabeth, that she pretends to receive the attentions of Charles, although it is made clear that she has remained pure. Nevertheless, she purposely permits her husband to believe otherwise. He has considered her like Caesar's wife, but his faith is shattered. A child is born to her and the father doubts its parentage.

Hunter Ross deserts his wife and child and she is driven to the extremes of poverty, being obliged in sell pencils to keep the spark of life in herself and little one. Fearing the worst, she writes a note, saying, "I am the wife of Hunter Ross, and this is our child," pinning the note on the child's dress in the hope that someone will find and care for the little girl, in case anything should happen to herself.

Harry Brownley, son of a rich New Yorker, reads a newspaper account of U.S. Revenue officers' plan to raid an illicit distillery in the Tennessee mountains. The young fellow asks his father's permission to join the forces under Sheriff Jackson, of Pikesville, Tennessee. The father reluctantly consents and the son starts out to satisfy his adventurous nature.

Carleton Holt locates at one of the mountain inns. On one of his daily trips he hears a mountain maid singing in the woods. Jumping from his horse, he makes his way to where she is sitting to find her holding a bunch of arbutus in her hands. He is fascinated. It is mutual.

A mountaineer, who has been shot by a pursuing sheriff, is concealed by a mountain girl in her cabin. When the sheriff arrives, she gives him whiskey, while secretly removing the bullets from his gun.

Fred Hart, a young businessman, unknown to his wife, draws their savings from the bank with the purpose of buying a home as a birthday surprise for his wife. He finds a real estate agent who has just the kind of a home he is looking for. He has to visit the agent's home during the course of his business transactions, he becomes well acquainted with the agent's family. The real estate man, a camera fiend, suggests to Fred his taking a picture of him and his family. Fred is agreeable and the agent gives him a copy of the picture. Fred puts it in his pocket and returns home to his wife.

Far up in the mountains Mrs. Bailor's two sons, Tom and Harry, are engaged at their distilling, constantly in fear of being pursued by the revenue officers, and arrested as moonshiners.