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Sinclair Lewis wrote the story to this heartwarming drama. Don Dorgan (George Nichols) has been patrolling his beat in a rough section of town for the past 30 years and has managed to keep the peace through friendship and understanding. One young neighborhood tough, Terry Rafferty (Ralph Graves), has fallen in love with Effie Kugler (Bessie Love), the daughter of a deli owner, Rudolph (George B. Williams). But Rudolph Kugler does not approve of the young man in spite of his efforts to straighten up. In his depression over the father's snubbing, Rafferty gets into a drunken brawl with the district's political boss and is sent to prison for two years. Meanwhile, Manning, a new police commissioner (Melbourne MacDowell), is hired, and he decides it's time to retire Dorgan. Since the new cop favors using his club instead of compassion, Dorgan decides to put on his uniform once again and patrol his beat -- at least when the new cop isn't looking. Rafferty gets out of prison but is almost immediately assaulted by a gang leader. Dorgan takes him under his wing and sends for Effie. The couple are reunited in spite of her father's protests. Manning finds out about Dorgan's "ghost patrol," but instead of upbraiding him, he promotes him to captain.