While telling his wife about the loss of his position on account of reduction of force, John Brown, machinist, discovers his little daughter in high fever. The doctor is sent for. The child grows worse. Lack of funds cause medical attention to be hard to find. Unable to pay the rent, John is notified to vacate. Gazing upon the little sufferer, John takes the empty medicine bottle and goes in search of a druggist who will trust him. His search is in vain. Of all the drug stores visited, not one cares to consider taking a chance. In hopeless despair, John continues his quest. A bank messenger, with two bags of coin, is entering a bank. John smothers his pride and determines to ask for assistance. Officials connected with a large financial institution have little time to give to a man in poverty, so the aristocratic bank president, who perhaps never has known the sting of want, orders John to take his medicine bottle and go. Humiliated by treatment as a beggar, resigning himself to the hopelessness of his condition, John turns to go, when suddenly his eyes fall upon the bottle in his hand, the cost of which, perhaps, means a life. He overpowers the banker and forces him to make the small loan. When relating the incident to his employees, the banker declines to pursue the man, recalling the fact that while thousands of dollars lies on his desk, the man did not touch a penny of it, being satisfied with the small bill asked for. John is about to enter the doctor’s office when his attention is called to a little child in danger. At the risk of his life, he saves the child, and followed by the frantic mother, takes it into the doctor’s office, where, later, the wealthy parent learns his name. A few days later the doctor is telling John that his own little girl is now out of danger, when the postman brings him a letter from the Mill Company, telling him a mistake was made in his suspension, enclosing a check for time lost and directing him to return to work. John and Mary are rejoicing in the glad tidings when a knock comes on their door. It is the wealthy parents of the little girl John saved. John modestly accepts their kind wishes, and is just about to take the extended hand of the father, when the men stare in mutual recognition, the banker and the hold-up man. John repays the loan by offering the check from his employees, and leads the banker to the bedside of his little girl, where both children have become fast friends at first sight. Further explanations are unnecessary: the banker understands and, looking at the children, then at John, he hands him back his check, and offering a hand warm with heartfelt gratitude, tells him, “Your hold-up debt is paid.”