When she is deserted by her husband, the Stranger (Anna Q. Nilsson) leaves her baby on a doorstep with half a dollar bill pinned to his chest, and a note saying that one day she will return for the child with the other half as identification. The baby is found by Captain McTeague (William T. Carleton) and his one-legged chef, Noodles (Raymond Hatton). The two men awkwardly but lovingly raise the child (who, as a boy, is played by Frank Darro). When one of the captain's mates, Martin Webber (George MacQuarrie), makes fun of little Bill, McTeague fires him. It turns out that Webber is the boy's father, so he kidnaps him in retaliation and uses the law to keep him. Ultimately Webber is killed in a fight and the Stranger returns for the boy. She and McTeague wind up raising him together. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi