Tess, who has a taste for society life, is neglected by her hard-working husband, David. She goes with an ex-suitor, Arthur Sinclair, to a notorious gambling establishment; while there, a raid is staged by the henchmen of Potts, Arthur is wounded, and Tess's rings are stolen. She lies to David but is exposed when the police show the jewels for identification; David then becomes infuriated with Sinclair. A letter written to Sinclair by Tess, discrediting her husband, falls into the hands of a housemaid, who sells it to Potts. The latter offers to return it for $15,000; Tess tries to buy it for a smaller sum and is refused. When detectives arrive to arrest Potts, he is found murdered; at the inquiry the fateful letter falls into the hands of David, but the murderer proves to be Vanetti, an enemy of Potts. David is reunited with Tess after destroying the letter, unread.—AFI