Surgeon Crisp announces to his student doctors and friends that he has solved the problem of limb-grafting, and shows proofs. Among those deeply interested is Mortmain, a musician and a friend of the surgeon.

When Rupert's uncle tells him he must quit his writing and offers him a real job in his tannery, the young man rises in his wrath and dramatically leaves his uncle's home, saying that he will go forth to the big city and carve out his fortune with his pen. After many hardships and cold rebuffs from the cruel publishers and editors he begins to despair

Willfull, headstrong and inclined to be sporty, but withal, a very lovable girl, Thomasin Webb (called Tommy for short) keeps her Aunt Sarah, with whom she lives, on the jump. Guy Dunbar becomes deeply interested in Tommy, first from a psychological point of view, then fascinated by her personality. George Hilton, a society rounder, is after Tommy's money