Mason, discharged from jail, promises his wife to lead a new life. While searching for work, he rescues Curly, a newsboy, from the clutches of a tramp, who, in trying to steal the boy's secret hoard, beats him up badly. Mason leaves the now helpless boy in care of his wife, and resumes his search for work. At the motor factory they tell him he will be notified of the first vacancy. Utterly discouraged in his attempt to obtain immediate employment, he yields to temptation, when a former pal of his tells him how easy it is to pass bad coins. Detective Flynn is shadowing the counterfeiter, and captures him red-handed. Mason, with a lot of bad coin in his possession, is pursued but gets away. Arriving home and believing he has eluded the detective, he resolves once more to be honest, and rejoices as his wife shows him a letter saying there is now a vacancy in the factory, but his joy is short lived, as Flynn has shadowed him home, and arrests him while he still has the bad money in his possession. The detective searches, finds some worthless coins and puts them on the table near the door of an adjoining room, while he makes a more thorough search. Curly, in the adjoining room, has now recovered from his beating. He listens and learns the trouble his benefactor is in. He then takes the coins from his secret hoard, and substitutes good money for the bad. He then gets away through an open window. Flynn, after a vain search, gathers the coins from the table and takes Mason to the station house. The coins are found to be good. Mason is discharged and gets to the factory in time to get the position. That night, as Mason and his wife are talking over the affair, they are puzzled, but very glad to get another chance. Curly gets his revenge by tempting the tramp to steal the bad coins, and then notifying the police.