Allen, a sailor, returns from a long voyage just in time to miss seeing Ellis, a young village merchant, refused by Alice, who is Allen’s affianced wife. Ellis’ love is an honest one and he takes his refusal most manfully, but still has hopes. After a lapse of six years, during which time Alice and Allen have married and have a little son, Allen has become a fisherman in order not to be away from his little family, but several bad fishing trips forced him to accept an offer to return to the life of a sailor as mate of a schooner about to sail. Ellis’ love for Alice is still alive and with Allen’s departure his hopes again rose. Allen’s ship is wrecked on an island in the South Seas, and for many months he and the crew were marooned hundreds of miles out of the course of passing vessels. The ship’s only boat was finally sent with volunteers on a forlorn hope to try to bring help, but was never heard from. Meanwhile Alice had given up hope and poverty had forced her to promise to marry Ellis. Allen and his two remaining companions had been rescued by a passing ship and he is on his way home. His strong love and continual thoughts of his wife cause her to leave Ellis at the church door so that she may take a last look at the sea before she gives up her husband’s name. She has a vision of the returning ship and refuses to marry Ellis. Allen returns after many days and the reunion is very appealing.