Young lawyer Richard Potter and Irene Roberts are secretly engaged but Irene’s social climbing mother wants her to marry a wealthy man. To that end she schemes with banker David Winters to break up Richard and Irene and pair her with Winters profligate son Gerald Winters. They succeed temporarily but Gerald is a violent drunk who runs with a fast crowd and eventually ends up charged with murder. Though innocent Gerald has been well framed and faces the gallows until Irene appeals to Richard, now the District Attorney, for aid. At the eleventh hour a confession saves Richard, allowing Richard and Irene to reunite.

Fred Watson, ravaged by consumption, travels to the lonely country known as Dead Man's Gulch in hopes of regaining his health. Accompanying Fred is his family, comprised of Kate, his son Bobbie and dog Mickey. Coming upon two shacks, they meet Bill Dorgan, a rough-bearded hermit who, after leering at Kate, invites the family to occupy the deserted cabin owned by Bill Mason, imprisoned for the murder of his partner. Meanwhile, his innocence established, Mason is pardoned from jail and returns to his cabin, bitter against the world. Gradually he is softened by Kate's charms and confides to her that he is searching for the gold that he and his partner had hidden years before, but is hampered by a missing section of the treasure map which disappeared the night of his partner's death.