John Reeves, steel magnate, wagers with his son Chester that he can earn twenty dollars a week and live on it. He procures work in the office of William Hart's steel plant. Against her brother's wish, Hart's sister Muriel adopts a little boy. Hart evens up by adopting John Reeves as his father. Reeves foils James Pettison's plot to ruin Hart. Chester also makes good as a workman and wins the affection of Hart's sister. The father reveals his identity and takes Hart as a partner.
Miriam Monroe and John Conrad are two young scientific workers who, independently of each other, have discovered a chemical called exonite. Miriam discovered it while searching for a cure for cancer, while Conrad used it as a basis for a powerful explosive.
Vincent, the lazy son of a wealthy father, travels to the country in an attempt to clean up his act. There he meets Kitty Trent, and he offers to marry her. His intention is to hold a fake ceremony, but Kitty's childhood sweetheart, Tom Wilson, finds out about this scheme and threatens Vincent at gunpoint to make the wedding a real one. Vincent does, but afterwards goes on seeing other women, neglecting his wife and, later, baby.
