Mary Anderson an heiress, feigns poverty while having a romance with struggling artist Bruce Haldeman, but her status-conscious mother puts an end to the affair. Mary secretly goes to Bruce's studio, but she mistakes one of the models for Bruce's new sweetheart, and so tells Bruce that she hates him. Anguished, Bruce wants to destroy his portrait of Mary, but the model stops him, enters the painting in an art contest, and then explains the mix-up to Mary's father. As a test of true love, he meets with Bruce and with Mary's persistent suitor Smythe Addison, and pretends that he has lost his fortune. Smythe quickly drops out of contention for Mary's hand, but Bruce remains eager. He goes to Mary to resolve their differences, and as they plan their marriage, he finds out that he has won the art contest, and has achieved overnight fame as a painter.—Pamela Short

Mary Anderson, daughter of wealthy parents, while in the country, hides her real identity behind a ragged dress she is wearing when she meets Bruce Haldeman, a poor artist, and introduces her laundress to him as her mother. Bruce comes to the laundress's cottage every morning, where Mary awaits him, to paint her picture and grows to love her. Mary's mother learns of her escapade, and highly indignant, brings her back to the city. Bruce learns Mary's real identity from the laundress and is heartbroken. Mary enlists the services of her father and provokes him into taking her one night to Bruce's studio, where she sees his model. Misconstruing the meaning of her presence there, she tells Bruce when she arrives that she hates him. Bruce, heartbroken, is about to destroy her portrait but his model, who secretly loves him, intervenes, saves it, sends it to the Art Institute under Bruce's name and enters it in the prize competition, and lastly, goes to Mary's father and explains all to him. Mary's father decides to make a test and after he has gathered about him Addison, persistent suitor of Mary's favored by her mother for social reasons, Bruce, and Mrs. Anderson, he tells them that through unexpected business reverses, he is penniless and must marry his daughter off to secure a son-in-law to support the family, which information provokes Addison into withdrawing his suit. Haldeman, however, is happy now that the barrier of wealth is removed. The model telephones in that Bruce has won the grand prize at the art exhibit, which makes him a rich man. Mr. Anderson then warns Bruce to be careful in his decision, now that he has achieved fame and fortune, but Bruce in answer clasps Mary to him, as Mr. Anderson confesses to his wife that the tale of poverty was only a ruse to test his manhood.—Moving Picture World synopsis