When John Devant was a young man he fell violently in love with a girl in the little Long Island town wherein he spent his summers. He persuaded her to marry him and took her back to the city. The girl, although beautiful in her native country, faded perceptibly in the city. After a time Devant tired of her. A short trip abroad, ostensibly for business purposes, was lengthened by him first to a month, then to six months, then to a year. The tired wife, friendless and alone in the city, waited until her heart grew cold and dead. Then she crept back to the home of her childhood, taking with her Devant’s child, a little girl whom she called Janet. The good salt air was too late to save Mrs. Devant. She died the day after she arrived, and Captain Billy, who had loved her all his life, swore that he would protect her little daughter. Eighteen years later Janet had grown into a beautiful woman. One day she discovered a secret way of getting into one of the beautiful houses belonging to the summer colony. In the library of this house she used to sit for days at a time wading through the splendid collection of books. One day John Devant, the owner of the house, came to it unexpectedly and surprised her there. He was momentarily startled by the girl’s appearance, listened with interest to her explanation and readily granted her permission to use the books at any time. Richard Thornley, a friend of Mr. Devant, came upon Janet one day on the dunes and, struck by her pulchritude, begged to be allowed to paint her. An intimacy sprang up between them that was rather a frank, buoyant comradeship than anything else. The arrival of a young lady from the city spoiled it all. She discovered Janet waiting for the artist in his studio and made several unpleasant observations. Janet, with a sudden realization of what the artist really thought of her, dismissed him with a few curt words and he left for the city, tormented by conflicting desires. A short absence from Janet showed him that he could not live without her. He returned and clasped Janet in his arms and told her he would have none other for his wife. A chance photograph led to Devant’s discovery that Janet was his daughter. The remorseful father welcomed Janet and Richard with open arms and promised himself to atone for his harshness to the mother by his love for the child.