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Like so many movie heroines of the pre-WWI era, the central character of The Pillory lives with the stigma of being born "out of wedlock." The girl (Florence LaBadie) who was the product of an indiscretion by her now-absent mother (Marie Shotwell) is being raised by her mean aunt. After the death of her aunt, she is thrown out by the straight-laced, ill-tempered housekeeper (Marie Haynes) and winds up in the city, accused of a crime she did not commit. The actual perpetrator breaks down when she is questioned by the judge's wife -- who happens to be the long-lost mother of the girl. The judge and his wife adopt the girl, but the old housekeeper reappears to reveal the truth about their pasts. As a result, the judge tosses both women out, and they go to work for the poor. The judge finally forgives his wife when she becomes the victim of a stray bullet, and the girl, who gets married to a nice young man (George Marlo), continues doing settlement work.