Colonel Latham, commanding an army post in the west, has incurred the hatred of Mike Hogan, a worthless soldier. The post is attacked by Indians at a time when the Colonel’s wife is about to give birth to a child. Together with the wife of a soldier, who is in a similar condition. Mrs. Latham is conveyed to the safest building, and while the battle rages both women become mothers, the colonel’s child being a girl, the soldier’s a boy, Hogan. In handcuffs, is in an adjoining room. One of the Indians makes his way into the building and kills the surgeon. The soldier’s wife is the Indian’s next victim, but before he can murder the infant, Mrs. Latham has succeeded in reaching a carbine and shoots him. The shock and excitement is too much for her strength and she dies. Hogan makes his way into the room and the opportunity suggests to him a fiendish revenge on the Colonel. He transposes the infants, placing the Colonel’s daughter in the arms of the soldier’s wife, and the soldier’s son beside Mrs. Latham. He then takes the carbine in his manacled hands, and when the Colonel and others enter, poses as the slayer of the Indian and savior of the babies. Hogan is released by the grief-stricken Colonel, and gains more credit by offering to take care of the soldier’s baby, the father having been killed. The child (the Colonel’s daughter) is turned over to Hogan and his wife. Twenty years elapse; the Colonel, retired, has established a manufacturing business in the east and amassed a fortune. His factory is an unsanitary firetrap; his employees, young girls, overworked and underpaid. The one tender thing in the Colonel’s life is his love for Rodney, whom he expects to embrace the military career. Hogan’s wife is dead, and he has become a drunken loafer, living upon the slender wages earned by Rose, whom he has forced to secure employment in Latham’s factory. Rodney comes home for a vacation, meets Rose and falls in love with her. Hogan’s hope is that this may result in the girl’s ruin, in which event he proposes to tell the Colonel the truth and enjoy a fiendish vengeance. Rodney, for the first time becomes interested in the factory and its employees and is horrified at the conditions. He protests to the Colonel and is told not to concern himself. Latham is informed that Rodney is infatuated with one of the factory girls, and orders him to drop the affair. To his astonishment Rodney declares his intention of marrying the girl and a quarrel ensues. Rodney declares that he will not return to West Point, but will devote himself to exposing conditions in the Colonel’s and other factories. Soon after, Rodney and Rose disappear together, and Hogan thinks his plans have succeeded. He tells Latham that Rose was his child and taunts him that she is now ruined by the boy he has loved as his son. Latham is brokenhearted to think that he is responsible for the fate of his wife’s child. Later, the Latham factory burns. Hogan has seen Latham enter the factory building, and is frantic of the idea of his being killed; he wishes him to live and suffer his grief and shame. He determines to rescue him and tries, but at the expense of his own life. The old Colonel is rescued by Rodney. Rodney and Rose have returned with the hope of affecting a reconciliation between Rodney and Latham, and when the latter learns that the young people are married, his thankfulness is great and he welcomes them home. It seems needless to disclose to them their true relationship to himself and Latham keeps the secret.