Plot
Mark Harper (William H. Tooker), his daughter Ruth (May McAvoy), his son John (William Desmond), and John’s wife Lois (Kathryn Carver) embark in Mr. Harper’s private car for a trip from Boston to Indian River in the far West, where the firm is constructing a new railroad bridge. Monte Collins (Monte Blue), the construction foreman, unaware of Ruth’s identity, sternly orders her to stop smoking near a cache of explosives. When she persists, Monte warns, "For a nickel I'd spank you!" Ruth indignantly tosses him a nickel, and he carries out the threat.
Monte soon discovers Ruth's identity when he visits the private car and also meets Lois, an idle and selfish woman. Lois, attracted to Monte, attempts to flirt with him, but he rebuffs her and shows interest in Ruth instead. Ruth reciprocates and invites him to visit her in Boston when he comes East on business.
In Boston, Monte attends a party hosted by Ruth, but his ill-fitting evening clothes embarrass her. Disillusioned, Ruth sends him away, and he returns west with John Harper to the construction site.
Lois’s constant extravagance and her repeated demands for money lead John to purchase inferior steel for the bridge, saving only $20 per ton but enabling him to give Lois a substantial sum. Monte protests, but John insists the new steel is sufficient.
When the bridge is completed, Ruth and her father travel west for the dedication. Monte and Ruth rekindle their romance, but tragedy strikes when, during the ceremonies, the bridge collapses beneath two trains. Although the crowd had been cleared in time, the trains and bridge debris plunge into the river.
Back in Boston, the Grand Jury convenes to investigate the disaster. Knowing the truth could kill Mr. Harper, Monte falsely confesses to ordering the substandard steel. Harper denounces him, and even Ruth turns against him. Monte is fired in disgrace, and Snitz (Lee Moran) is appointed the new foreman.
Later that evening, John, overcome with guilt, confronts Lois and admits he authorized the faulty steel to meet her financial demands. Ruth overhears and rushes to Monte, who is preparing to leave the country. Though her father can never learn the truth, Ruth declares her love and insists they start a new life together.
