The Great Power

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.

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.

Franklyn Starr, a talented and wealthy young musician, suffers a double misfortune in the sudden loss of his hearing and in the death of his Mother to whom he is deeply attached. He loses his generous, joyous nature and transforms into a gloomy and despondent misanthrope.

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.

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.

May and Annie work in a fashionable millinery store, where the buyer, struck by May's beauty, advances her to a position among the models. She gets a little money, but finds that she is obliged to wear better clothes, which she has a hard time getting.

Margaret Jarnette discovers that her husband Victor has been cheating on her and confronts him. Outraged, Victor has his lawyer rewrite his will so that in the event of his death, his brother Richard will get custody of his daughter Muriel, and his wife won't. When Victor dies shortly afterward, Richard suspects that Margaret had murdered him and takes custody of Muriel. However, he soon begins to suspect that things may not be quite as cut-and-dried as he thought they were.

Pretty Patience Thompson, a "girl with a singing soul," lives with her cold-hearted and avaricious father, Jeff Thompson, on their Indiana farm. Her life of drudgery is brightened by John, the hired hand, but when he asks for her hand in marriage, the old man flies into a rage and discharges him. Soon an aged but wealthy widower courts Patience, and although she still loves John, "Old Jeff" orders her to marry the widower, claiming that a father's will is the law.

Katherine Nevin and her brother Jack are given positions on the newspaper of James Osborne following their father's death. Osborne's city editor, Charles MacLaughlin, who is hated and feared by his business associates, is strongly attracted to Katherine, who accepts his mother's invitation to dinner. In spite of his ruthless manner Katherine tries to change the atheistic views of "Mac" and his embittered crippled brother, Angus.