Eva Lester, a little girl of nine years, finds more pleasure in boyish sports and pastimes than with playing with dolls and similar girlish toys, and causes not a little distress to her mother, as invalid, and to her father, Herbert Lester, a gentleman of moderate wealth. Eva’s mother falls seriously ill and upon her death her father proposes to the nurse who had attended her during her illness and a few months after the death of his first wife the two are married. The step-mother to Eva is true to the tradition of step-mothers in general and the manifestations of hatred for the little girl results in the little one’s threatening to leave the house. This bitter scene is followed by the explosion of a lamp to the drawing room of the Herbert’s, resulting in the death of Eva’s father, a moment or two after he has written to the life insurance company changing the beneficiary from his dead wife to the second Mrs. Herbert. The explosion sets fire to the house and Eva is rescued by a boy friend and a fireman. Some time elapses and Eva’s cruel step-mother decides to have revenge upon the innocent girl in sending her to the house of an impoverished and drink-sodden man and woman. Here they make life so miserable for the little girl that one night, when locked in her room, she slips out of the window on a rope and runs away. Later she is found by a kindly minister who takes her home and when the brutal foster-father of the little girl attempts to claim her, he is given a sound thrashing by the minister. The minister adopts Eva and the photoplay closes on a scene of rare contentment.