Esther Desries, of strong character and attractive personality, a settlement worker and volunteer nurse, meets Dr. John Strong, and soon finds that she has for him the one great love of her life. Strong’s wife, Marion, is a thoughtless butterfly and without appreciating the gravity of her course, plans to elope with Thornton, an artist. Thornton, of weak character and emotional, is the father of Francis, a small child who has been injured in a street accident, and who has been attended by Strong and nursed by Esther. Thornton’s redeeming trait is his kindheartedness and love for his child. Esther knows that Strong loves her, and upon learning of the proposed elopement, realizes that she has only to allow matters to take their course in order to eventually become Strong’s wife. She finds, however, that she cannot allow her own happiness to be based on the shame of the man she loves and the grief of the child Francis, whom Marion has induced Thornton to abandon, as she, Marion, dislikes children. By appealing to Thornton’s father-love, Esther succeeds in preventing the elopement, and by confessing to Marion her love for Strong, she rouses in the wife a jealous determination to deserve, win and retain the love of her husband. Esther at last feels that, by assuring the happiness of those she most loves (Strong and the child) she, too. will attain happiness.