- Leo Fielding, a professor of languages, reluctantly goes with his younger brother Henri to an anarchists' meeting. In black robes and masks, members draw ballots to choose someone to assassinate the prince. When the police raid, Leo says that he induced Henri to attend. Banished, Leo goes to America, sadly leaving his baby Floria with Henri. Five years later, Henri's wife Dulcine, wanting Floria's inheritance, urges Henri to send their niece to Leo with Count DeGrasse, the anarchist leader, whom she has secretly paid to kill the girl en route. After learning of Floria's supposed drowning, Leo loses interest in life. Years later he becomes a circus barker and makes friends with the aerialist, in reality his daughter Floria, whom DeGrasse, the ringmaster, has forced to support him. After Floria refuses to marry manager Lemuel Salter, owner Wilfred Wells, masquerading as a stenographer to investigate graft, falls in love with her and thrashes Salter. In revenge, Salter pours acid on the safety net, but DeGrasse performs before Floria and is killed. Before dying, DeGrasse reveals Floria's identity. Now reconciled with Leo, Floria marries Wilfred.
- Professor Leo Fielding is enticed by his brother Henri to join a secret Anarchistic organization having designs on his great wealth. The evening Prof. Fielding is initiated the police raid the meeting and Prof. Fielding, his brother and Count DeGrasse, head of the organization, are arrested. As the brothers are awaiting sentence, Prof. Fielding exclaims: "My brother is innocent, I induced him to attend the meeting. He should be freed." While Henri has not the courage to declare his own guilt, Prof. Fielding is ordered to leave the country within twenty-four hours. It means the separation of a doting father and his little daughter, whom he commits to the care of Henri. Five years elapse and Prof. Fielding longs for his daughter. As teacher of languages he can earn but little. Not one dollar has his brother sent him. His wife, Dulcine, who wants full possession of the professor's wealth, has told her husband that Prof. Fielding died. Henri is confronted by Count DeGrasse, who escaped from prison. He says to Henri, "You need my silence, I need your money." Dulcine urges that the Count be given money and that he take Floria across the sea to her father, and if possible make away with her enroute. The Count is given gold and he embarks for America with Floria. Prof. Fielding is happy when he hears that Floria is on her way from Europe. But he later receives a telegram reading: "Floria fell overboard and drowned." The years speed on and Madam Floria has become a star of a circus. She is, in reality, daughter of Prof. Fielding, the Count posing as her guardian. Both travel under an assumed name. The Count is almost always intoxicated, but the circus manager, Lemuel Salter, does not discharge the Count because he is infatuated with Floria and fears to lose his star attraction. Prof. Fielding, poverty-stricken, is forced to sell his beloved books. His plight is seen from across the hall by a musician who plays in the circus band. He and Prof. Fielding become friends and the musician secures a position for Prof. Fielding as "The Barker." The professor is introduced to his own daughter by the Count. Neither know their relationship. The Count fails to recognize the professor. Wilfred Wells inherits the circus from his father. He discovers that while the show plays to capacity the receipts grow less, and joins the circus as stenographer to detect the crookedness of Salter. Wells and Prof. Fielding become friends. Wells loves Floria. One afternoon Salter finds Floria alone in her dressing tent and enters with the Count. The Count commands Floria to give her consent to marry Salter, but she refuses. A struggle ensues and Prof. Fielding, Humpy Jim Wilson, a circus attache, and Wilfred Wells come to the rescue. They learn that the young stranger is Wilfred Wells, owner of the show. Maddened by the loss of Floria and with the knowledge that his crookedness has been discovered, Salter resolves to cut the rope of the trapeze belonging to Floria and also the strands of the net into which she falls after her high dive from the trapeze. It may be fate, but for the first time Count DeGrasse resolves to dive first into the net. The net breaks and the Count receives fatal injuries. Through the testimony of Humpy Jim Wilson, Salter is arrested. Count DeGrasse, dying, asks that Floria and Prof. Fielding be summoned. In his dying breath he tells the story of Floria, and the professor, realizing that the girl is his own daughter, takes her into his arms. Then comes the dinner. Prof. Rendezvous, the circus musician, and Prof. Fielding, the barker, nod their aged heads approvingly as they view Wilfred Wells and Floria Fielding seated together across the room. The old pals know that the young folks love each other and have plighted their troth.
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