Sophie Jones is shocked when she learns that the estate of the Vanderkill family, to which she is related, includes a dance hall. After she is told that it brings in $18,000, however, Sophie sends her nephew, Paul Vanderkill, to investigate "Loveland," where the girls dance with any man with a dime to buy a ticket. The first girl Paul meets when he enters "Loveland" is Madeleine McGonagle, who does not understand his sophisticated way of speaking but likes him anyway. "Panama Canal" Kelly, who is about to leave for the West, is in love with Madeleine, but she rejects his earnest proposal of marriage. Paul explains to Madeleine that he is a widower, and she does not realize that he is wealthy until he buys enough tickets to keep her for the evening. Madeleine lives with her unemployed brother, who borrows from her, and her sister and mother. Unlike Madeleine, Ma McGonagle recognizes the Vanderkill name and both she and her daughter are shocked when they discover that the money he gave Madeleine was a $1000 bill. The next day, Paul goes to an expensive clothier and buys Madeleine an entire wardrobe, then gives her a pearl ring. Because Paul is worried about his daughter, Madeleine agrees to become his mistress, and is called a tramp. Later, Doctor Schultz tells Madeleine that she is pregnant, and much to her surprise, Paul asks her to marry him the next morning, hoping to avoid publicity for the sake of his daughter. Many items are acquired in anticipation of the baby's arrival, but the baby dies shortly after birth. Accompanied by Aunt Minnie, a confidante of the girls at "Loveland," a distraught Madeleine leaves for Mexico without telling Paul. As she believes that their marriage was just for the sake of the baby, she now wants to give Paul a quick divorce. At a bar in Mexico, Madeleine meets Panama, who again asks her to marry him. He is not dismayed when he learns of her past, explaining that he once went to prison for stealing a horse. Paul, meanwhile, has been conducting a secret search for Madeleine and is stunned when lawyer Carlos Spanoni Bustamante presents him with a $100,000 annual alimony settlement, which Madeleine had not authorized. Ashamed, Madeleine decides to marry Panama, as this would nullify the alimony. When Panama protects her during a barroom brawl, the incident makes headlines. The couple are about to wed when Paul arrives. After overhearing Madeleine confess her love to Paul, Panama, a true gentleman, bows out.