Southerner Judith Rutledge, after becoming the trusted secretary of New York bank owner James Warren, agrees to Warren's dying request that she marry his son Fred so that the bank will carry on. Because Fred, who untruthfully confessed to a forgery to protect his now-deceased brother Jim, seems to be in love with Carlotta Stanmore, and will not take Judith's advice to avoid business dealings with swindler J. Wellington Yarnell, Judith leaves and goes West. There she meets Tom Langley, who owns the rights to land which Yarnell deceitfully had convinced Fred to buy. After Carlotta intercepts Judith's telegram warning Fred of Tom's departure to New York to settle the dispute, Fred feels betrayed by Judith. When the truth is uncovered and Carlotta is found to have committed the forgery of which Fred thought Jim was guilty, Fred declares his love for Judith and she is accepted by his family, who previously had insulted her.