Villainous attorney Cribbs forges the will of Edward Middleton's grandfather so that upon the old man's demise, he will inherit the Middleton holdings. After Middleton's death, Cribb's first official act is to force Mary Wilson and her widowed mother from their little cottage on Middleton land. He is prevented from doing so when Edward, an innocent young man, falls in love with Mary and they are wed. Cribbs is not easily deterred though, and leads the young man into drink and despair. Eight years later, Edward has become a worthless drunk whose wife and child suffer from hunger and cold, when family friend William Dalton turns to philanthropist Frederick Healy and his institute for sobriety to help the young man. Edward is on the brink of suicide when Healy finds him and saves him. Cribbs then tries to frame Edward for check forgery, but William uncovers his plot. Soon after, William's demented sister Hazel reports that she has seen Cribbs digging under a tree, and they all converge on the spot to find Cribbs with the real Middleton will that leaves everything to Edward. Reformed by Healy, Edward is then blissfully reunited with his family.