Helen Ralston, daughter of a wealthy businessman, wearying of the empty life of fashion, decides to give herself up to sociological work. She is assigned to a rather hopeless district, occupied by the fishermen squatters on the lake shore. There she finds old Bill Simpson and his handsome but ignorant daughter, Mary. She teaches her how to read and write and then shows her how to dress herself becomingly. Mary's sweetheart, Antonio Angelo, a rough vindictive squatter, is much vexed as he observes Mary emerging from her surroundings of ignorance. He blames Helen's teaching for the change in his sweetheart, and spitefully swears to get even. Helen's father happens to buy the squatter's land for a warehouse, and then has to hire deputy sheriffs to oust the squatters. When Mary hears of the situation, she hurries to the scene and intercedes in time to stop bloodshed. Angelo cuts the fishermen's nets and then incites the fishermen against Ralston, declaring that he was their greatest enemy. They lure Ralston to their domain and decide to take him to an island and starve him until he will agree to let them live on the lake shore. In the fight he drops his watch. Mary finds it, gives it to Helen, and she recognizes it as her father's watch. She sees trouble and begs the squatters to save her father. They then get a launch and pursue the runaways. Angelo threatens them with a knife, but the vigorous Mary knocks him out with an oar. In the conflict that follows Helen is thrown into the lake but is rescued by Mary. Afterwards the squatters are pursued by armed men, led by Harvey Mathews. Ralston is brought back to shore and the vindictive Angelo attempts his assassination. But again Mary rushes to the rescue, knocks Angelo down, and he is tied up and given over to the police. Eventually, the Rev. Chas. Markham wins the stalwart Mary for his wife, while Harvey Mathews and Helen wed as the ending of the romance. Written by Moving Picture World synopsis

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• Drama