Wealthy lawyer William Emory treats his young son Bill very strictly, despite the intervention of his wife Ruth. When Bill returns home from a military academy for the summer, Emory continually criticizes his behavior which owes more to boyish energy than to willful disobedience. Things come to a head when Bill's toy airplane damages a top hat that Emory was to wear while giving an important speech. For punishment, Bill is restricted to his yard. When he tries to stop another boy from stealing a bird's nest, however, Bill leaves his yard and his punishment is extended for a week, even though Ruth pleads for Emory to be more tolerant of his son. Bill gets into more trouble when he decides to show a neighborhood boy, Vestibule Pullman, a gun his father has hidden in a bureau drawer. Emory comes home unexpectedly and finds Vestibule hiding in the drawer with the gun. After being sent to his room in disgrace, Bill runs away. He meets some hobos, who decide to kidnap him when they learn that his father is wealthy. Bill is saved by a passing man, Lunk Nelson, who hears his cries for help. After telling Bill that his mother will be sad if he runs away, Lunk returns the boy to his home. Lunk's criticism of Emory's treatment of Bill causes Ruth to suggest that she take total responsibility for his upbringing until he is a little older. Ruth and Emory then quarrel, and Ruth decides to leave with Bill. Soon Lunk is spending hours with Bill, teaching him about fishing. One day, Emory sees Bill in the neighborhood and invites him in, but Bill refuses, saying he is busy with Lunk. The next morning, Ruth finds a ransom note in Bill's room. Thinking that he has been kidnapped, she rushes to Emory for help. They follow the note's instructions, which lead them to Lunk's cabin. There they discover that Bill wrote the note himself, hoping to bring his parents together again. Realizing his mistakes, Emory vows that the family will never be separated again.