John Strong, an architect, and Mabel Newman, interior designer, meet in the office of a contractor, whither both have been called to confer over certain plans. The acquaintanceship which rapidly springs up between them, soon ripens into a warm affection, and when Strong proposes marriage, Mabel gladly accepts him. William Addison, the contractor in whose office the two were brought together, has almost unconsciously fallen deeply in love with Mabel. The news of her marriage to Strong reveals to him the full extent of his love, with all the pitiless distinctness of a lightning flash. After their marriage, John and Mabel spend their honeymoon in a little bungalow by the sea. John, an enthusiastic fisherman, goes out one day after tuna, is overtaken by a storm, blown far out to sea and finally wrecked on a small island many miles from shore. His signals of distress are eventually seen by a passing ship and he is taken aboard, but as the ship is off on a long whaling voyage in Antarctic waters. It is over a year before he is able to get back to his home. Meanwhile, Addison, anxious to redeem his first great mistake, has been eagerly wooing the supposed widow. Mabel, resigned to her husband’s death, and doubtless influenced by Bernard Shaw’s doctrine that all widows should marry again to show that their first experience was a happy one, has begun to listen to his suit with favorable ears. To the happy Addison suddenly appears the supposedly drowned husband, John Strong, demanding news of his wife’s whereabouts. Seeing the cup of happiness about to be dashed from his lips for the second time, a dreadful temptation lays hold of Addison. Shall he send Strong away on a hopeless wild goose chase and leave the wife in ignorance of her husband’s return, or shall he act the man’s part and transform his dreams of future happiness into the wormwood and lees of vain regret? In bitter silence be arrives at his decision and gazing with quiet, hopeless eyes into the barren future, restores the wife to her husband’s arms.