Virginia Southern

A story of Vienna following World War I, in which the butchers became millionaires and the aristocrats became beggars, told against a background of mother-love and sacrifice.

Cowboy Phil Stone gets a job as foreman on a ranch owned by pretty young Isabel Hastings. He discovers that ruthless rancher Jeff Kopp has a claim on Isabel's ranch, and that if she dies unmarried before she turns 21, Kopp will get her ranch. When Isabel turns down a marriage proposal by Kopp's son Rudy, Kopp decides to kill her and get the ranch for himself, and hires a notorious killer, "Cyclops", to do the deed.

In 1869, enemies of railroad magnate Richard Strong attempt to ruin him. Richard thwarts them, largely through the help of Charles Dalton, but then Charles tries to seduce Elinor, Richard's wife. Although she rebuffs Charles, Richard accuses her of infidelity, so Elinor leaves him and goes to Paris. Richard follows her, but, caught in the middle of the 1870 riots, he cannot get near her. Charles, also in Paris, finally convinces Richard that nothing had come of his interest in Elinor, but Richard now believes that Elinor no longer loves him.