In the early days of the 1900s it took but one indiscretion to completely ruin a young girl's life, as this drama illustrates. Country girl Ruth Fenton (pretty Viola Dana) has just graduated from high school when she becomes involved with brakeman Alec Peters (Harry Beaumont). Her parents thoroughly disapprove of Peters, but Ruth thinks that he is her soul mate so she runs off with him. But Peters seduces her and then proceeds to mistreat her. Ultimately she leaves him and moves to a cheap boarding house where she lives in squalor. Back home, her mother has grown seriously ill and her doctor insists that only Ruth's return can bring her back to health. The town's minister (Robert Conness) goes searching for Ruth and brings her home. The Fentons forgive their repentant daughter, but the townsfolk refuse to have anything to do with her now that she's a "fallen woman." Shattered because everyone has snubbed her, Ruth drowns herself in the lake. At the funeral the minister lambastes his congregation and calls them "murderers" for their harsh treatment of the hapless young girl. ~ Janiss Garza, Rovi