The story opens with a full view of the Brooklyn Bridge with a woman in a nervous state stealing along. A policeman, noticing something amiss, approaches her, but too late. The woman jumps to the river below. A sailor on a passing tug dives overboard and rescues her. A harbor police-boats puts out from shore and they are both taken aboard. Dr. Warren, who is among the crowd on the shore, offers his assistance, but ordinary methods of resuscitation fail, and a call is given for a lung motor. This revives the woman and she is taken to a hospital where the doctor and his wife are her only visitors. They take a general interest in her, not realizing she is addicted to drugs. The woman, fully recovered, is brought to court and charged with attempted suicide. She is about to be committed to Blackwell's Island, but on the doctor's and his wife's promise, she is paroled. She is made assistant nurse to the doctor and later becomes infatuated with him.