Col. Taliaferro, a proud Kentuckian, lives on his country estate with his only daughter, Sallie. It is his ambition to preserve the family honor unsullied, as it has been for the past five hundred years. On her eighteenth birthday, he presents his daughter with a beautiful necklace, and, pointing to the family shield, impresses upon her his desire that she will always respect the family name and preserve the family honor. William Copeland, down on his luck, tramping through the country, comes upon a band of tramps, who invite him to take part in a robbery. He resents their insult, and a fight ensues. Speed Allen and his overseer happen along and see Copeland hatless, disheveled and dusty. They also see the camp of tramps and report the matter to the sheriff. Copeland applies to Col. Taliaferro for work. Allen objects, but Sallie persuades her father to give the young man employment. As time goes on, a strong attachment springs up between the young people and Allen is jealous. The tramps steal chickens from Allen, and the theft is discovered by the overseer. In the fight that follows, the overseer is killed by the tramps. Copeland is suspected of the murder because Copeland has inherited estates and a title in England and foreign lawyers have advertised for information regarding him, publishing his photograph. When the sheriff comes to arrest Copeland, Sallie hides the young man in her room. In an attempt to escape from the bedroom window he is discovered and arrested. Fearing that his daughter has been compromised, Col. Taliaferro gives her a revolver to kill herself rather than have the family honor stained. Meantime the tramp who killed the overseer is captured, Copeland is exonerated and advised of his inheritance. He and the colonel rush to Sallie's room just in time to prevent her suicide, the young people are happily reunited and blessed by the colonel. - Moving Picture World, October 16, 1915