A wave of reform sweeps the country, engulfing the town of Richmond. James Stanley, a wealthy young man of fine principles and high ideals, interested in philanthropy and reform, is nominated for mayor and politicians predict an easy victory for him. Even Tom Mitchell, "boss" of the opposition, believes that he'll be elected. Mitchell bribes one of his henchmen Fred Osborne, to spy on Stanley and delve into his past. Osborne secures work with Stanley as his private secretary, but finds not the slightest flaw in his record. Working in the double capacity of private secretary for Stanley and spy for Mitchell, Osborne also finds time to carry on his own questionable work and to pay assiduous court to Stanley's attractive young wife Doris. Stanley is so engrossed in philanthropy and reform that he neglects Doris, though he truly loves her. He notes Osborne's attentions to his wife and becomes jealous. A crisis is reached when Stanley makes arrangements to speak at an important political meeting on a certain evening, forgetting that he had previously promised to take Doris to the opera that evening. She is dressed and ready to go when she finds it is impossible for Stanley to accompany her. He starts for the meeting, forgetting his typewritten speech, while Doris, piqued, and in a reckless mood, accepts Osborne's proffered escort. Mistaking Doris' forced gayety and recklessness for encouragement, Osborne presumes too far, and when Stanley returns for his forgotten speech, he finds his wife struggling in Osborne's arms. A bitter quarrel (overheard by the servants) ensues, and Osborne is ordered from the house. In his anger, Stanley refuses to listen to any explanation from Doris. He rushes off to the political meeting, where he receives an ovation. Returning home, flushed with triumph, he finds a note from Doris, stating she can no longer endure his neglect and unjust suspicions and has left him forever. He believes she has fled with Osborne. Osborne, having failed to discover anything to Stanley's discredit, Mitchell and Russell, Stanley's opponent, alarmed over Stanley's growing popularity, decides to adopt drastic measures, and they employ clever, fascinating adventuress Iris Deremer to entangle the reformer in a web of intrigue. By a decoy message, iris lures Stanley to a fashionable gambling house, which Mitchell had arranged to have raided, believing the resultant publicity and scandal of Stanley's arrest in such a place will ruin him politically. Fate takes a hand and more than Mitchell planned for, occurs. A crime is committed which is witnessed by Iris. The lights are switched off; the regular habitués of the place escape by a secret passage, and Stanley is caught and held pending the coroner's inquest. Stanley's adherents are scandalized, excitement is rife, and the daily papers fairly blister with scare-heads denouncing the "so-called reformer." The coroner's inquest is set for the day before the election, and to accommodate the crowds, it is held in the courtroom. The news of the tragedy reaches Doris in the quiet hoarding house where she is hiding. With a wife's intuition, she knows instantly he is incapable of committing such a crime and determines to clear him. Her suspicions are directed toward Mitchell. Disguised as a messenger boy she gains entrance to Mitchell's office, and overhears a quarrel between the "boss" and Iris, who calls for her reward. Mitchell, believing Stanley is done for, and no longer needing Iris' help, breaks his promise to her and refuses to pay her anything. In her anger and spurred on by the desire for revenge, Iris tells the truth (overheard by Doris), that French shot Osborne and Stanley is innocent. Pledging Iris to secrecy, Mitchell now pays Iris all she asks and she departs. Doris, in her excitement, makes a movement, which they hear, and she is brought forth from her place of concealment. Her cap is knocked off; her hair comes down, but no one knows who she is. Mitchell believes she has been employed to spy on him, and orders her locked in an anteroom. Leaving Doris tied to a chair, and locked in, Mitchell and Russell start to attend the inquest. After several fruitless attempts, Doris escapes by climbing out of a window and working her way along the ledge to the next window, which leads to another room, where she escapes to the street. Meanwhile, the inquest is being held, and things look black for Stanley. The men caught during the raid testify that Stanley and Osborne were quarreling bitterly just before the lights were switched off and Osborne was shot. Stanley's own servants also give damaging testimony regarding Stanley's quarrel with Osborne the night of Mrs. Stanley's mysterious disappearance. Mitchell and Russell, who are present, are jubilant over the proceedings. The coroner sums up the evidence, the jury is about to retire when there is a commotion in the court room, and Doris (still wearing the messenger boy's suit), rushes in, followed by two plainclothes men with Iris and French. The jury is recalled. Doris testifies. French confesses, and Stanley is cleared during a wild scene in the courtroom. A reconciliation between Doris and Stanley follows, and they are both carried from the courtroom on the shoulders of their admirers, followed by the cheering crowd. This is on the eve of election; the next day, Stanley is elected mayor by an overwhelming majority.