Mary and Billy are sweethearts. Mr. Stanley, the girl's father, suspects the boy of being a victim of the drug habit. Billy, in an attempt to master his craving, abstains from the drug. He is invited to dinner at his sweetheart's home. Stanley notices the boy's nervousness. He resolves to call upon him at his office and learn the truth. The next day, Billy's desire for the drug becomes so intense that the moment his employees leave the office, he brings out his hypodermic.

At the instigation of Sybel, an adventuress, Black, a society parasite, steals a valuable diamond brooch. He turns the jewel over to the adventuress, who then throws him over. Black flees from the city to escape arrest. Shortly afterward, the young man meets and falls in love with Mildred.

In leaving his boarding house to attend a New Year's celebration given by Elizabeth, his sweetheart. Lawrence loses his invitation to the affair. Elizabeth receives a valuable necklace from her father. That night, the girl promised to marry Lawrence. As Lawrence takes Elizabeth in his arms, her necklace becomes entangled in his cuff link. The boy disengages the jewel and places it on the table. Shortly afterward, both leave the room. Elizabeth misses her necklace after Lawrence has gone home. Her father suspects Lawrence of having stolen it.

The police request Roy to aid them in tracking the murderer of Langham, found slain in his room at the Piermont Hotel. In looking over the scene of the crime, Roy finds an unset emerald on the floor. A peach bearing tooth-marks is also found by the criminologist. Roy's suspicion is directed toward Hawkins, a society man, who has the suite next to the murdered man's room. Searching the suspect's rooms, Roy finds a fob from which the stone is missing. The emerald fits the setting perfectly.

Horace Clark, a young evangelist, first thrashes and then reforms Tim Downs, a drunkard and a gangster. Horace wins the gratitude of Tim and his wife, when he saves their children from death. The gang, angry at having lost its leader, plans to waylay the evangelist.

In this film Helen Holmes was clearly rehearsing for the role that brought to her fame and recognition in a serial that started getting released two months later. She became the audacious star of "The Hazards of Helen", acting as the heroine of numerous railroad adventures.

Bill Clayton is known as Broadway Bill because he is the most prominent Bill in the night life of the white way. Muriel loves Bill, but loathes his mode of life, and for her sake he goes to Underwood's lumber camp to work the alcohol out of his system. Hardigan. the foreman, thinks he is sent to spy upon his actions and makes several efforts to get rid of him, but in the end Bill thrashes the foreman, takes his place and wins the girl, though not before a curious chain of cross, purposes.