Wealthy widow Mrs. Van Ruyter entertained ideas and doubts as to the relatives who might inherit her fortune. They all lived in distant states and had never met her, so upon advice from her lawyer, she changed places with her housekeeper, and when her relatives arrived, they lavished great attentions upon the housekeeper, and made Mrs. Van Ruyter feel her position keenly. The young lawyer, a widower with a 5-year-old child, visits a toy factory where his child, playing around the machinery, escapes serious injury through the courage of factory worker Ruth. Taking pity upon her and admiring her for her courage, the lawyer persuades Mrs. Van Ruyter to give her a position as maid in her house, although Ruth believes that Mrs. Van Ruyter is merely the housekeeper as she represents herself to be. Grace, a niece of Mrs. Van Ruyter's, is determined to become the heiress to the beautiful home and also to win Harry, the young lawyer, for her husband. In spite of this, Harry's regard for Ruth grows stronger, much to Ethel's anger. Ethel, noticing the attraction which Ruth has created in James, the butler, succeeds in arousing his jealousy so that he carries out a plot tending to discredit Ruth and secure her dismissal from the house. Mrs. Van Ruyter chances to over-hear the plot and determines to let it go through so as to learn whether Harry really cares for Ruth. The plot apparently succeeds and Ruth is denounced a thief, when to everyone's surprise, Harry announces his determination to make Ruth his wife. Then, while the amazed relatives are trying to recover their surprise and dismay, "the housekeeper" springs another one and, revealing her real identity, announces that Ruth is innocent and charges the butler with having plotted out the whole affair to have Ruth dismissed. The butler discharged, and the relatives out of the house, Mrs. Van Ruyter informs Harry that in her new will Ruth will be her heiress, much to the chagrin and disgust of her relatives, and Ruth and Harry prove very loving children to the old lady.