John "Flint" Dawson, general manager of the Dawson Steel Company, ignores the recommendations of his assistant, James Marley, and turns down a proposition to merge his business with Combined Steel because he fears the merger will hurt workers who have invested their savings in shares of mill stock. That night, John, who is adored by his employees, loses both of his legs when a worker, whom Marley had just dismissed for drinking, spills a vat of liquid steel near him. The worker then falls to his death, leaving the circumstances surrounding the accident somewhat mysterious. Unknown to John, Marley is on the Combined Steel payroll and also is having an affair with his wife Vivian. After a hospitalized John signs over his power of attorney to Vivian, Marley convinces her to enact the merger, sell the family stocks, and leave with him and her daughter Joyce for England. In the hospital, a broke John meets Marchant, a blind man, and once recuperated, joins him as a sheet music street vendor. The duo travels across America and eventually starts an enterprise wherein they convince thousands of other disabled street vendors to contribute a percentage of their earnings to a general fund, to be used to improve the vendors' living conditions. Also during this time, John learns of Vivian's suicide and, under the name of Daniels, becomes Joyce's guardian. With profits accumulated over fifteen years, John instructs his lawyer to buy a sizable amount of Combined Steel stock and give it to the now-grown Joyce. At the same time, Marley, who is plotting to buy out the workers' share of the company, bids on the company's stock. As a counter move, Marley announces that Combined Steel will not be paying any quarterly dividends, causing the stock prices to plummet. Joyce, whose boyfriend Lee is Marley's nephew, then discovers John's identity and unwittingly sells Joyce's shares. To prevent disaster, Marchant notifies all of the branches of his organization that John has been named head of Combined Steel and advises them to buy stock in the mill. After a life-saving buying frenzy, John confronts Marley in his office and accuses him of murdering Vivian. As a mob of angry steel workers forms outside of the building, Marley shoots himself to avoid prosecution. Re-instated as the mill manager, John assures his workers of their share in the company and embraces his daughter and future son-in-law.