George Cowl

Thaddeus Plummer is nicknamed "The Worm" because his job involves boring holes into furniture to create counterfeit antiques. One day, he buys an oriental rug and is nearly fired when his employer, Pat O'Donnell, alias Abdul Ishmid, deems it worthless. Thaddeus learns that he has purchased a "wishing rug" and his luck improves when he tests its powers. He wishes to see his sweetheart, Clara Ridder, and is rewarded. After a wish for $1,000 is granted, Thaddeus buys the antique shop and marries Clara.

A crooked politician finds himself being accused of murder by a gangster from whom he refused help during a re-election campaign.

Habitual unfaithful husband, Jack Freeman begins flirting with the Effie McKenzie, and so breaks up her marriage. Blanche Gordon, a friend of Jack's wife Louise, then comes to see Jack several times in order to plead with him to give up extramarital affairs and accept the responsibilities that go with being a husband.

J.B. Ball, a rich financier, gets fed up with his free-spending family. He takes his wife's just-bought (very expensive) sable coat and throws it out the window, it lands on poor hard-working girl Mary Smith. But it isn't so easy to just give away something so valuable, as he soon learns.

Irish politician Charles Stewart Parnell struggles to free his country from English rule, but his relationship with married Katie O'Shea threatens to ruin all his dreams of freedom.

A beautiful young girl, Lola, is a dancer at a private club for wealthy men in New York City. Some of the club members make a bet that Lola can't seduce a young doctor, Jennings. Her attempt fails, and in order to find out why she follows him around and discovers that he runs a clinic on the city's poor Lower East Side. She begins to see the young doctor in a new light, and sets out to help him build the emergency hospital he's always wanted.

The intrepid reporter and amateur sleuth Joseph Rouletabille becomes involved in the investigation of a hideous crime committed in a room painted yellow, whose door was locked from the inside…

Aspiring young Scottish politician John Shand enters into an unusual agreement with the wealthy Wylie family -- if they fund his education, he must marry their daughter, Maggie. Staying true to his word, John weds Maggie and begins a successful career, thanks largely to his savvy wife. The couple's relationship is placed in jeopardy when John faces temptation in the form of the lovely aristocrat Lady Sybil Tenterden.

Young farmer David Ross stands to inherit his uncle's fortune provided he contacts his missing cousin. When the cousin dies, the cousin's brother persuades a radio personality Maida Vaughn to assume the heiress's identity. She falls for the farmer, confesses the deception, and they marry.

Just before his sudden death, a businessman accuses his son-in-law of embezzlement. His daughter is convinced of her fiancée's innocence and tries to clear his name and unmask the real villain and is aided by secret messages…from her dead father. Or are they?

Accomplished portrait painter Clementina Wing, sacrificing all self-interest to her art, complies with the request of fellow artist Tommy Burgrave to paint a portrait of his wealthy Uncle Quixtus, whose unhappy life has made him unsociable. Quixtus is about to be taken advantage of by adventuress Lena Fontaine when Clem intervenes.

While traveling in Europe Philip Quentin encounters his former sweetheart, Dorothy Garrison, and finds that she is now engaged to Prince Ugo Ravorelli, whom Philip recognizes as the man wanted for a murder in Brazil.

During the American Civil War, A Union-Army officer is ordered by U. S. President Abraham Lincoln to bring in Belle Starr, the leader of a Missouri guerrilla band, dead or alive. However, he falls in love with her, does not bring her in, and is facing a court-martial.

Pampy lives in a quaint little Dutch village, where she supports her invalid father by selling flowers to tourists. Pampy is so beautiful that she provides inspiration to Donald Luther, an American artist who is visiting the village, and at his request, poses for him. Just as his interest starts to blossom into love, he is called away for two weeks. During his absence Pampy's father dies, leaving her only with directions to her wealthy grandfather's home in New York.

The owner of vast diamond mines, John Quelch is constantly fearful of theft and convinced that any woman will "sell her soul" for diamonds, he deals harshly with any employee caught stealing and has Lady Margot Cork watched while she is visiting Lorraine Temple. John and Margot fall in love, but she cancels their engagement when she learns of the "brutal" punishment of Jim Wingate for swallowing a diamond.

Kindhearted Charles Wendel, who has built his pushcart grocery business into a prosperous enterprise, adopts little eight-year-old Mary Brian after her mother dies in poverty. The little girl becomes the angel of the house, beloved by all. Wendel's dream is that his son Ralph will carry on the business, but when Ralph graduates from college, he decides that he is too good for the grocery business. Instead, he goes to work in a bank where he falls prey to swindlers who convince him to forge his father's name on a $100,000 check. When the forgery is discovered, the old man covers the check at the cost of his own financial ruin. Ralph, chagrined, leaves home to make good and soon after returns, prosperous, to wed Mary and restore the fortune and happiness of the Wendel family.

Henry Minuet, son of the governor of New Amsterdam, travels to Danvers, now Salem, Mass., to buy grain for the struggling colony. He sees Priscilla Elliott, the daughter of Danvers' physician, and it’s love at first sight even though they do not speak the same language. Priscilla is pursued by Momma’s boy Salvation Hibbens, but she likes him not. When her father dies unexpectedly, Salvation's mother tried to force her to marry Salvation even going as far as to accuse the pair of witchcraft. The lovers flee but can’t return to Henry’s town either since his parents have a marriage arranged for him too. They strike out on their own path to a happy future.

American mining engineer Jim McClellan is in love with Dolores de Silva, daughter of the deposed president of a Latin American country. He becomes involved in the revolution....

A British butler goes to America duped by mobsters into believing he is the heir to a fortune.

Leontine Maddern is a self-centered, unscrupulous actress, while her twin sister Leona is a serious and compassionate artist. Because of a scandal in which Leontine was involved, Leona uses her mother's maiden name of Rosalie Byrnes. Rosalie meets and falls in love with Lt. Gerald Cromwell and after they marry, Cromwell is sent overseas. His family, desiring that Gerald marry wealth, approaches Leontine and, mistaking her for Rosalie, offers to buy her off, and she accepts.

Intending that her son, Herbert, marry debutante Mildred Vane, Mrs. Consuelo Carter is most dismayed when she learns that Herbert has fallen in love with Pat Murray, a model in Darrow's dress shop. Pat's emphatic refusal to take Mrs. Carter's "suggestion" that she give up Herbert leads to her being fired, and she reluctantly accepts Herbert's invitation to weekend at the Carter country home. Finally realizing the hopelessness of the situation, Pat makes a spectacle of herself at a party; but Herbert is not fooled, and their love triumphs.

When English nobleman Marcus Heriot marries the young Canadian Wanda his family, especially his mother, reject her because of her outsider status. Lady Heriot engineers a scandal that ruins their marriage and after has Wanda’s child declared illegitimate. Years pass during which Wanda and her son Robin rebuild their lives through toil. Now grown Robin enters the military, and Marcus reenters their lives wanting to give the young man his name.

Young minister Brand Cameron meets stage star Adrienne Durant at her father's humble country home. Believing her an innocent country girl, Cameron falls in love with her. She confesses her racier life and returns to New York. Cameron follows, unable to give Adrienne up, his parishioners denounce him and force him to resign. He departs, accepting a post in a tough lumber camp while Adrienne accepts the charge of a school for poor children. Later Faro Kate falsely accuses Cameron of fathering her child enraging the lumbermen who set fire to his church. Discovering Kate's baby is trapped inside Cameron risks his like to save the child causing Kate to retract her lie and Adrienne comes to join him in his new ministry.

Jailed unjustly for a murder he did not commit, a young man uses his amazing powers of escape to free himself and pursue the actual killers, who hold his fiancée captive.

Loyal slave of the aristocratic Dabney family, Dan is overjoyed when Raoul becomes engaged to Northerner Elsie Hammond and his sister Grace becomes engaged to Elsie's brother John. When the Civil War breaks out, the heartbroken Hammonds return North and John joins the Union army. Raoul joins the Confederacy, but his vindictive overseer, Jonas Watts, becomes a Union officer. Watts takes Grace prisoner, but before he can act on his desires, John rescues her.

Dr. Hugh Annersley, on the trail for a cure for cancer, is framed for murder by Dr. Appledan, who had accidentally killed a patient. Hugh’s sister Julia pleads with the fatally ill and suicidal Frank Sargeant to take the blame which he does only to discover that the insane Dr. Appledan had lied to him as well and he is healthy. As his execution looms Julia races to exonerate him.