Hidden Genre Gems In Alignment with the style of Her Own Free Will: Cult Guide

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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. A letter left by their father told them to go to Hugh Jordon, as he held a mining claim in trust for them. Penelope, the oldest girl, shows the letter to Hugh and he invites the orphans to remain until he has investigated the matter. It is all plain sailing after that, and Hugh marries Penelope and the fortune is kept in the family. There is a slight underplot involving a handsome widow, who tries to capture Hugh, and a most despicable specimen of the wealthy class who tries to ruin Penelope.

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After landing a big "haul," Dave Darcey, a crook, decides to spend part of his booty by holding a dance for his followers. Paddy Burns, leader of a rival faction, decides to settle an old score with Dave by breaking up the affair. On the night of the dance he goes at the head of his gang with the avowed intention to "get" Dave. In the struggle, Dave shoots Paddy and makes good his escape. He is seen by Phillip Brenton, the son of the owner of the steel works, who thinks he is there to rob the house and demands an explanation, Dave explains the whole affair to him, and Phillip gives him a chance to make good by giving him a job in the steel plant. Phillip's father is not so sure of Dave's reformation, and tests him by leaving a large roll of bills exposed. Dave sees the money and a struggle with his other self follows. The new Dave comes out the winner and he returns the money. The Baroness Von Ehrenstein, a secret agent for a foreign government, learns that the Benton Steel Works have accepted a huge war order for a nation hostile to her own. She gets permission from Phillip to visit the plant on the pretext of getting local color for a novel she is writing. Phillip personally guides her and her accomplices through the plant and they make a thorough study of the place. Phillip has become greatly interested in the Baroness and is neglecting his fiancée, Grace. The latter notices his continued absence and asks Dave the cause. The latter, in order to protect Phillip, tells her that it is business. Dave, suspicious of the Baroness, warns Phillip of her and his young employer resents his interference and discharges him. While Phillip is in a drunken stupor, the Baroness steals his office keys from him and gives them to her confederates who hasten to the steel works. Suspicious of their actions, Dave follows them and sees them plant bombs in the factory. He tries to foil them and a fight follows. Dave is finally subdued and is left, bound hand and foot, by the burning bombs. He rolls himself over to a saw and works frantically till he severs his bonds. He then starts to stamp out the fuses of the bombs, but one of them explodes and he is caught in the wreckage. The watchman, having seen part of the struggle, follows the conspirators. The police arrive at the scene and are closely followed by Phillip and his father. The latter accuses Dave of attempting to destroy his plant, and also charges him with the murder of Paddy Burns. The watchman returns with the real culprits and tells the true story, thus clearing Dave of guilt. One of the policemen then tell Dave that he need not fear of trial for murder, as Paddy is still alive, having been only slightly injured by the shot. Dave is acquitted of the charge of assault which he had to answer to for the shooting and returns to a better job with the Benton Steel Works. Phillip and Grace are reunited.

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The Hawk, Count George De Dazetta, preys upon society with the aid of his beautiful wife. She seems to be in love with a young French nobleman, who is the real aggressor in this triangle. De Dazetta finds that the young nobleman's love for his wife is changing her for the better, that she begins to abhor his gambling profession and his inroads upon society. However, he continues to use her beauty as a lure to his gaming tables and wins heavily. In the meantime the nobleman breaks with a young woman aristocrat whom his mother wishes him to wed. During a transaction with an American from whom he borrows money to repay his gaming losses to De Dazetta the nobleman learns of the Hawk's love for his wife, and that she is helping her husband to win. Marina, the wife, washes her hands of the whole earning enterprise and is accused of infidelity by her husband, who tried to kill the nobleman. Failing, he leaves, and the nobleman protects the wife while attempting to locate the gambler and get his consent to a divorce. Finally this is effected, and Marina herself pleads for the divorce, that is until she learns that De Dazetta is now penniless, having lavished his every cent upon her and really loves her, and has consented to give her up only because he thinks it best for her future welfare. Her womanhood comes to the surface and she goes to him, renouncing the nobleman, her love for the latter having been without sin throughout.

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Gifted with charm of manner and a prepossessing appearance, Arsene Lupin, instead of employing his talents along legitimate lines, prefers to match his wits against those of the French police, with the result that he becomes the most celebrated crook of his time. Always after big game, he moves in the most exclusive circles of French society, and takes advantage of an opportunity to pass himself off as the Duke de Charmerace. Assuming the Duke's title and estates, he sets about the delicate task of stealing the rare works of art and the enormously valuable jewels belonging to a M. Guernay-Martin. As the first step in this direction he becomes engaged to Germaine, Guernay-Martin's daughter. Under the cloak of their hospitality he commits a series of audacious robberies, stealing old masters off the walls and always signing his name on the wallpaper to show he committed the theft. The distracted art collector calls in Guerchard, the shrewdest detective in Paris, but even under the nose of this sleuth, the thefts continue as before. Germaine's secretary, Sonla Kritchnoff, attracts more than the passing attention of Lupin and before he has finished with the Guernay-Martins he finds himself in love with her. Guerchard finally draws the net of suspicion so closely about Lupin that the latter is forced to leave the Guernay-Martin home and hide in his own apartment. Just before leaving he discovers that Sonia is also a thief, and the shock of this knowledge determines him to lead a straight life thereafter and take her along with him. Though Guerchard trails him to his hiding place he makes use of an ingenious concealed elevator and at the last exciting moment, slips from between the detective's fingers and escapes with Sonia to safety.

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Jimmie Hallet is walking through a heavy fog one night when, seemingly out of nowhere, a girl appears, shoves a bundle of papers and a slip of paper with an address on it into Jimmie's hands, then disappears. Intrigued, he goes to the address on the paper, and is promptly knocked out by a blackjack. When he wakes up the next morning he discovers the dead body of a man named Greye-Stratton and learns that the "mystery girl" was Stratton's daughter Peggy. Jimmie soon finds himself questioned by the police about her father/s murder and mixed up with a gang of thieves and killers led by a mysterious thug named Ling.

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Lieutenant Commander Colton, U.S.N., is in love with Caroline Austen, daughter of a prominent political power in Washington. Colton has a rival in James Archer, a journalist of prominence, unscrupulous and secretly in league with the Ruanian Ambassador, who is endeavoring to obtain for his country inside information as to the United States naval resources. Gilman Austen, Caroline's brother, receives an appointment to the Naval Academy. He is much in love with Ethel McMasters, daughter of a superintendent, and pays so much attention to her that his term marks in navigation are so low as to preclude his passing the semi-annual examination. He is told of this by Captain McMasters, and Colton, Caroline Austen and Ethel McMasters then get busy in Oilman's behalf, Caroline working with Colton, who is in love with her. and Ethel attempting to influence her father, but these two officers absolutely refuse to exercise any influence in Oilman's favor. Mr. Austen, Sr., then takes a hand in the game, but finds naval men a different proposition from politicians, and as a result Gilman is forced to leave the Academy. Mr. Austen uses his power and has Colton transferred to the command of a collier. Gilman Austen, however, grits his teeth and 'lists in the navy as an apprentice, and here we see him carried through all his training experiences. Colton being of an inventive turn of mind and realizing the weakness of the submarines is in the battery, invents a new battery. Archer hears of this and informs the Ruanian Ambassador, who offers the traitorous journalist almost any sum to secure these plans. Archer is prevented from securing them by Gilman Austen, who is now a full-fledged able seaman, serving under the name of Roger Brown. The Ambassador then determines upon a big coup. He directs Archer, who now is completely in his power, to have a Ruanian merchant ship lay a series of mines in the channel through which the warships must pass. Colton has been placed in command of the submarine flotilla, and Gilman Austen is on duty with the D-2. Through Caroline Austen, Colton learns of the plot, and as the ships are due to arrive that night, Colton takes command of the D-2, goes out and submerges his boat. Time is precious, and Colton realizes that he cannot take the D-2 through the mines, so he has himself shot out of a torpedo tube and swims through the mines, goes on board the merchant ship and blows up the mines just before the fleet comes in. Colton is badly wounded and is rescued by Gilman Austen and the submarine crew. For his work in this action, as well as his general reputation and good character, Gilman Austen is sent back to the Naval Academy. Colton marries Caroline.

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At a reception given for the vacationing Prince Zarl of Zorania, secretly the emissary of Zorania set on negotiating a treaty with the United States, Geoffrey Wynne, apparently a society dandy, but in reality a secret service agent, meets the prince. During the reception, Wynne is summoned to Washington where he learns that the treaty has been stolen and is being held for $15,000,000 ransom. Discovering that one of the thieves is an Italian named Farnelli, Wynne enlists the aid of his fiancée, Irene Mitchell, in apprehending the thief. Irene meets the Italian who offers to accompany her to New York. En route, Wynne overtakes them, chloroforms Farnelli and rips off his disguise to reveal Prince Zarl. Zarl then admits that he has stolen the treaty in order to cover his gambling debts.

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Dorothy Arden is private secretary to Godfrey Lovell, known as the Croesus of Wall Street. His Western partner is Daniel Casselis, who has a daughter named Dorothy. Lovell has a son, Robert, and the two financiers are trying to arrange a match between their children. But Robert falls in love with his father's secretary and marries her, but on returning home to tell dad, he finds that Lovell is ill and has gone on a long sea voyage to recuperate. Bob is sent to Chicago to see Casselis and invite him and his daughter to come on the cruise with Lovell, and Dorothy is greatly distressed at this turn of events. Bob reassures her, however, and still they do not tell his father. Bob meets Miss Casselis on the Limited as she is returning from an Eastern trip and they become friends. Meanwhile, Dorothy has determined to go on the yachting trip, so when the whole party arrive at Frisco Bob finds his wife awaiting them. Many amusing complications occur during the voyage and jealousies are aroused. The yacht anchors off a lonely island in the Pacific and Bob, with the two Dorothys, goes ashore. The yacht is driven out to sea by a terrible storm, leaving the three stranded on the Island of Surprise. Bob is hurt in a terrific landslide and the blow causes him to lose his memory. Dorothy tries in vain to call to mind his marriage to her, and Miss Casselis, thinking Dorothy is merely bluffing, is not to be outdone and claims Bob is her husband. Bob finally settles an uncomfortable situation by telling the women he will simply remain their friend and protector. Meanwhile, the yacht has had to send out a boat for the nearest land, owing to engine trouble, and a man-of-war is met. She is directed to the island, and arrives just in time to drop a shrapnel among a horde of island savages who are attacking the three castaways and just about to annihilate them. Rescued by the navy men, the three castaways are reunited with their party. Bob recovers consciousness and recognizes his wife, and all ends in forgiveness and happiness.

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Eileen Meredith receives word from an "unknown friend" to call at the house of her fiancé, Robert Grell, where she will discover something of great importance. Unable to go, Eileen sends her sister Helen in her place. Helen enters the library where she finds a dead body resembling Grell. The real Grell then enters and, seeing Helen holding the dagger, mistakes her for Eileen and flees, hoping to cast suspicion on himself. Criminologist Heldon Foye takes the case. Foyle is in love with Helen, and when he finds her prints on the dagger, finds himself in a struggle between love and duty. Meanwhile, Grell locates the real murderer, a woman who clears up the mystery by explaining that the murdered man was Harry Goldenberg, her husband and Grell's dissolute brother who had come to blackmail him. In a struggle, she had stabbed Goldenberg, but because she had worn gloves, no fingerprints were visible on the dagger. The mystery thus resolved, Grell marries Eileen while Helen forgives Foyle for misjudging her.

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Hal Page, the weakling brother of Stephen Page, the town mayor, falls in love with Carline Shrefton, who throws over Burt Staley to entangle Hal in her self-serving schemes. Furious over her abrupt departure, Staley shows up at Carline's, and a jealous fight with Hal ensues in which Staley is shot and killed with Carline's gun. After Hal confesses to the deed, Stephen quietly sends him off to Spain. One year later, Stephen announces his engagement to Marion Hayward, the daughter of the district attorney, who is pressing charges against James Reed, a corrupt politician and Carline's new husband. To save Reed, Carline threatens Stephen with exposure, but he refuses to bend to her demands. Just days before Carline is to reveal her story about Staley, Hal appears and confesses to Hayward that Carline is the true killer. After verifying Hal's story, Hayward grills Carline, who finally admits her guilt. A matured Hal is restored to his family and Reed is sent away for his crimes.