Chester Rand, a pleasant-looking and upright lad, supports his widowed mother by earning three dollars a week at a general store in Pennsylvania. His boss, Silas Tripp, cuts Chester’s salary, forcing Chester to quit rather than work for an unfair wage.  Ironically, Tripp’s own nephew, Walter Bruce, seeks shelter with Chester Rand and his mother, after being turned away by his uncle. The Rands take Bruce in, but he soon develops a fever and sadly meets his death. Before dying, Bruce gives Chester the deed to five lots in Washington, a gift that will pay off later on.  Chester soon decides to try his luck as an artist in New York City. He works several jobs and endures being ill-treated by his superiors. Chester tries his best to succeed in New York, and reach all the goals he set for himself when he was still living at home.