A gang of Tripolitan pirates swooped down and kidnapped 13 wealthy brides, whom they held for ransom.

During a lawn party at his New York home, steel magnate Theodore Morton claims he is bankrupt as a deterrent to Lord Dormer and the Duke of Medonia, two fortune hunters competing for his niece, Betty. After the suitors depart, unscrupulous Carl Gates is informed by his fiancée, banker's secretary Adele Shelby, that Theodore was lying. Carl pursues Betty, who accepts his proposal with the belief that the marriage will benefit her uncle. During a yachting expedition with Carl, Betty falls overboard and is rescued by architect Tom Waring, who is competing in a race. Tom wins with Betty on board, and a romance develops.

The Hawaiian Princess Laone's love for Keith Parrish is thwarted by social pressure. After being persuaded to refuse Mr. Parrish's proposal she attempts suicide, but is rescued by her lover. After Parrish leaves town to take care of his father, Princess Laone is told he has abandoned her, and she departs for Hawaii on board the yacht of the dastardly wealthy playboy Stephen Brainard. Princess Laone is forced into having sex with Brainard by being threatened with gang rape by his crew.

Big Jim Garrity, a mine superintendent, is falsely accused of murder by a dope doctor and is forced into exile in Europe. After several years, he has made a fortune and returns to the U.S. under an assumed name. He makes his way into society, where he falls in love with the girl whose brother he is accused of murdering.

The Span of Life is a 1914 drama film