In Mexico, the beautiful Lola and her husband are murdered by American Mark Sinister, an evil character who had hoped to make Lola his mistress. Their little girl, Amorita, now left to fend for herself, grows into a clever but wild young woman. At the age of sixteen, Amorita travels to New York, where she is adopted by Jasper Creature, Sinister's lawyer. Under the influence of Patience, Jasper's sister, Amorita acquires refinement and education, and soon Sinister falls in love with her. Amorita, however, has fallen in love with Frank Truman, the son of Col. John Truman, a man who was financially ruined by Sinister. Through Sinister's machinations, Frank is imprisoned unfairly, Jasper is framed, and Amorita is almost forced into marriage. One evening, Frank, Amorita, and Jasper each go to Sinister's house intending to kill him, but discover that he has already been stabbed by a cruelly treated servant.