Louise Wilke remarks in the hearing of Leo Holmes, her fiance, and Bruce Morgan, Leo's friend, that never could she marry a man who was a drunkard. Morgan, who is secretly Holmes's rival, at the next club dinner gets his friend under the influence of wine, and then has him receive a message to go at once to Louise's home. When she sees Howard intoxicated, Louise breaks the engagement. Morgan presses his suit. With her though, divided between two young men, Louise is visited by a dream in which is shown to her a life of misery with Morgan. In her dream she sees him turn out to be a worse drunkard than Holmes, and selfish and brutal in addition. In trying to defend herself from him she kills him with a pair of shears. Holmes, a poor derelict, hears her scream. He rushes to her rescue, taking upon himself her guilt, Louise awakes. She sends for Holmes and they are reconciled. - Moving Picture World, March 13, 1915.
Kalem released a different "The Derelict" on December 30, 1914 as a two reeler.