Miss Sullivan, the bawlerout for Charker & Co., loan bankers to the poor, is the terror of every unfortunate who has to borrow money on his salary. If they do not pay up promptly she is the one who goes to their place of employment and “bawls them out.” Young Dick Lewis, a bank clerk, to help his fellow clerk. Jack Gray, borrows $200 of Charker & Co. The bawlerout is sent to his home to find out all about him. She pretends to be a book agent and talks with his mother, a kindly old gentlewoman. Satisfied that the boy is all he said, Charker & Co., advance him the money. Dick is engaged to Edith Downs, the pretty daughter of the bank cashier. She is a selfish, heartless girl, caring more for dress than she does for anything else. When Dick, owing to the fact that he has no evening clothes, finds himself unable to go to a ball with her, she calls his rival on the ‘phone and makes an appointment to go with him, Dick’s friend refuses to help Dick pay back the money he borrowed for his sake; so the bawlerout is sent to the bank to disgrace the boy. But as she begins she sees his mother entering with the bank president. The sight of the gentle old lady softens the girl and she goes away without accomplishing her purpose. John Howard, a reformer, disguises as a workman to find out the truth about the loan shark establishment. He interests the bawlerout and together they find out that President Bendis of the bank in which Dick is employed is the real head of Charker & Co. Edith’s father, to keep up with his daughter’s extravagance, borrows money from the bank which he is unable to repay. The girl, learning of this and dreading to see her father disgraced, suggests that as Dick loves her, he take the blame. The boy agrees. Miss Sullivan, who has become friendly with Dick’s mother, is a constant visitor at the house. But she has never permitted herself to soften toward Dick, who, despite this and the fact of his engagement to Edith, falls in love with the erstwhile bawlerout. Howard and Miss Sullivan secure the necessary evidence against Charker’s. In the bank the money is missed and Dick accused. He says nothing and is about to be arrested when Howard enters with the bawlerout. Bendis is told that he is wanted by the police and Miss Sullivan, seeing Dick handcuffed, asks the reason and is told. One glance from the boy to the shrinking cashier convinces her as to just who the thief is. She “bawls out” Downs and breaks him so that he readily confesses. As he and Bendis are taken away, Edith turns to Dick and informs him that she is done with him, she has become engaged to the other man. With a great sigh of relief, Dick holds out his arms to Miss Sullivan, and she, despite her past coldness, enters his embrace. And it is thus that Dick’s mother finds them a little later.