Abandoned at four, Philip Brent was raised by a loving couple in Spokane, Washington. When the wife died, a mean-spirited, greedy second wife made Phil’s life hell.

Setting off at 16, to escape the hateful stepmother, Phil makes his way to Seattle and to the hope of a successful, new life. Along the way he is falsely accused of theft, saves an elder from a disastrous fall on the ice, and has a terrible time attempting to find employment.

A chance meeting with a fortune teller warns him about greedy relatives. She also informs him that he is not without friends — his natural father still lives — and they will be reunited.

Because of his good schooling, and good luck, he eventually finds a position, which saves him from starvation.

Once again, greedy relatives conspire to wreck havoc on Phil’s attempts to better himself, and he is framed for yet another theft, as well as being prevented from ever re-uniting with his birth father.

In 1873, Oscar Granville is accused of a murder he did not commit. He and his infant son, Phil, have been on the run and find their way to a Spokane, Washington inn. He fears being identified through the fact that he has the child, and asks the kindly innkeepers, Gerald and Ellen Brent, to care for his son for a short while. While intending to leave him only until he can clear his name, he disappears for 12 years.

In this scene, Oscar has finally written to the couple who cared for his child. However, his letter reaches the greedy second wife of Gerald Brent. As the letter is read, in flashback we see Oscar and the infant Phil enter the inn.

INT. SPOKANE INN - Winter

Flashback. This third childhood flashback is the
last and clearest of them all.

                         OSCAR GRANVILLE
                   (v-o cont.)
            At that time, I registered as his
            guest, along with my only son, then
            four years old. My wife was dead,
            and my affections centered upon
            this child. Yet, the next morning I
            left him under your charge.
                   (pause)
            I was fleeing from undeserved
            suspicion. I was accused when an
            acquaintance mysteriously
            disappeared, and a trifling dispute
            between us had been witnessed.

Oscar and his baby son Phil play with a wooden
toy train.

                         OSCAR GRANVILLE
                   (v-o cont.)
            Knowing myself to be innocent, but
            unable to prove it, I fled, taking
            my child with me. When I reached
            Spokane, I realized I might be
            easily traced, through the child's
            companionship.

                         PHIL (BABY)
            Choo-choo ... choo-choo

                         OSCAR GRANVILLE
                   (v-o)
            There was no resource but to leave
            him.

Gerald Brent and first wife Ellen lovingly engage
with the child.

                         OSCAR GRANVILLE
            You and your husband impressed me
            as kind. I felt I could safely
            entrust him to you, but did not
            dare confide my secret. I left my
            darling, knowing not if I should
            ever see him again.

The Brents play with the child. We see past them
out the window to a snowy landscape and the lone
figure of Oscar Granville moving away.

EXT. SPOKANE INN

When far from the inn, Oscar pulls from his
pocket his son's wooden toy train, and doubles
over in pain from the loss of his son.

In this scene, Phil has been lured to an abandoned Skid Row building by the Shadow Man, claiming that Phil’s benefactor, Oliver Carter, has taken ill. Carter’s greedy nephew schemed to discredit Phil by entrusting him to transport $200 in cash of Carter’s money. The Shadow Man was hired to steal the cash, making it look as though Phil had taken it.

INT. JACKSON ST. HOUSE - PRISON ROOM

The room has only a small cot and chair. Phil
turns to Shadow-Man with a look of surprise.
Shadow-Man locks the door and pockets the key.

                         PHIL
            I don't believe Mr. Carter is in
            this house.

                         SHADOW-MAN
                   (evil smile)
            I don't believe he is either.
                   (beat)
            I told you he is here, because I
            thought you wouldn't come if I
            didn't.

                         PHIL
            Is Mr. Carter sick at all?

                         SHADOW-MAN
            Not that I know of.

                         PHIL
            Why have you taken such pains to
            get me here?

                         SHADOW-MAN
            There are at least 200 good reasons.

Phil turns pale.

                         SHADOW-MAN
                   (cont.)
            The money in your pocket. I want it.

                         PHIL
            You are a thief.

                         SHADOW-MAN
            Hand over that money.

Shadow-Man advances toward Phil, who keeps
stepping backward.

                         PHIL
            How do you know I have that amount
            of money?

                         SHADOW-MAN
            Hand it over!

                         PHIL
            It isn't mine. It belongs to Mr.
            Carter.

                         SHADOW-MAN
            He has plenty more.

                         PHIL
            But he will think I'm dishonest and
            took it.
                   (beat)
            Let me go, and I'll never breathe a
            word.

                         SHADOW-MAN
            Bosh! Give it to me.

                         PHIL
            No!

Shadow-Man seizes Phil. They struggle. Phil is
thrown, and, with the man's knee on his breast,
Shadow-Man strips him of the money.

                         SHADOW-MAN
            You might as well have given up the
            money in the first place.

Shadow-man unlocks the door, lets himself out,
and quickly locks the door again. Phil finds the
door securely locked.

He goes to the window -- too high above the
street -- there is no way to escape.

Hours pass. The door is opened slightly, a plate
of bread, butter and a glass of water is thrust
into the room, and the door closed again. Phil
eats and drinks to keep up his strength.

                         PHIL
                   (to himself)
            They don't mean to starve me, at
            any rate. While there is life,
            there is hope.

Long past dark, Phil goes to the bed, and lies
down. He nods off.

Gradually, a growing confusion of noises comes
from the street. Among them are men and women
screaming and broken glass. Finally, above all
other sounds he heard the terrible cry of "Fire!"

Smoke penetrates into the room.

                         PHIL
                   (dry whisper)
            Fire.

Phil pounds frantically on the door, yelling for
help. The chair breaks up when he uses it against
the door. He throws the remains of the chair
through the glass window. The smoke pours in
thickly, and he slumps to the floor suffocating.

EXT. SEATTLE STREET

There is fire everywhere. Block-after-block is in
flames. We hear the frantic cries including:
"Help! Help! All of downtown Seattle is on fire!"