Jalmari, who does odd jobs at the harbor, rescues little Risto from being beaten up by older boys. The child is afraid of his violent foster parents and runs away to kind-hearted Jalmari. His foster mother Miina reports the escape to the Salvation Army, whose lieutenant Sirkka finds the boy in Jalmari's shabby cottage. Risto runs away again when they try to return him to his foster parents.
An architect, who has recently married a new, younger wife, tries to re-connect with his ex-wife, who is being courted by another man.
18-year-old orphan Sylvi is unable to refuse the marriage proposal made by her guardian, Aksel. The young wife is unhappy with her elderly husband and loves her childhood friend Viktoria instead. Sylvi sinks into despair when Aksel refuses to grant her a divorce.
