Carlton, disapproving of his dissipated son and the latter's scheming wife, on his death-bed makes his will in favor of his devoted niece, Marcia. Hearing of this the previous couple plan to balk the father; their scheming is overheard by the cracksman, who has stealthily entered the house. The son and his wife retire and the cracksman creeps upstairs and enters Marcia's room. Affected by her beauty and innocence as she lays sleeping, he determines to assist her; following the son into the sick man's room he snatches the stolen will from his hand.

Cleo drops her bonnet while sitting on the wall. Young Wally picks it up; their eyes meet and the old, old tale follows.

The young doctor, spending most of his time in charity work, is particularly interested in the case of a poor mother who must send her child away for its health. This brings him into contact with the owner of the tenement and he endeavors to persuade him to improve conditions. He is refused. But, the owner's daughter has overheard this refusal and she determined to investigate the trouble herself.

Dorothy informs the cracksman that when he has finally renounced his life of thieving he may return to her and claim her. The cracksman resolves to be worthy of her. In his home he doubts his ability to reform and takes out his revolver. A vision of the girl comes to him and he is about to cast it aside when a tray of gleaming jewels crosses his vision. His resolution wavers. He places the gun in his pocket and sallies out.

Dorothy and her father have staked all their hopes on their mine. While they are awaiting the arrival of Mr. Reid, who is to report on the value of the mine, Pedro, a Mexican, makes familiar advances to Dorothy and is sternly repulsed. Reid arrives and a mutual attraction springs up between himself and Dorothy, to the chagrin of Pedro.

The cracksman is discouraged and cynical. It is Christmas Eve. He takes his revolver and starts out in quest of gain. Dot gets home, tired out and distressed because she has been discharged from the store. Her crippled sister hangs up her stocking and prays for the morrow. It is too much for Dot. She goes out to secure money for a present at any cost. Passing the window of a mansion, she observes a man give a woman a necklace. In the hurried departure, it is left behind. The temptation is too strong: she gets through the window and secures the necklace, only to be confronted by the cracksman, who has entered another way and pretends to be the owner. She tells her sad tale.

Dorothy Davenport as Clara Madison, a prominent lawyer, wins a judgeship over fellow Attorney Grant Williams, played by Willis L. Robards. Upon winning the prominent position as judge, Ms. Madison finds herself walking a political tight rope with enemies all around doing what they can to cause her down fall. Judge Madison convicts a murderer to death paving the way for her to be easily elected as the first female Governor. As Governor she is faced with a difficult dilemma. She has the power to pardon her husband who has been convicted of a serious crime, but to do so she’d be using her office for her own personal gain. “I must find some way to realize my ideals without sacrificing my husband. I must struggle on somehow for the sake of womanhood!”