Waldo, son of Baron von Kraft, comes home from college and finds a reception in progress. All of the rooms are occupied, as Waldo braves old legends by offering to sleep in a room which is said to be haunted. His sister and her girl friends decide to play a prank on him. They borrow a skeleton from one of the medical students nearby and place it in the room. Waldo leaves his sweetheart to go upstairs. He comes face to face with the skeleton and the shock causes him to lose his mind. The girls in fright tell the Baron of their prank and its result. As the Baron goes up, the boy's door opens and he comes down, with staring eyes and his hair white as snow. The boy does not recognize his father and the agony in his face crushes the father and the thoughtless girl. The girl tries to atone for her sin by retirement to a convent. War is declared between Germany and France, and the father leaves to join his regiment. Into the tent of the Baron is brought a French spy.