When Gus Stewart's wife announces that she wants to divorce him, he starts thinking about committing suicide. His 14-year-old son Alex notices this and desperately tries to prevent him from doing so and to give his father a reason to live.
Burglar Nat Harbin and his two associates set their sights on wealthy spiritualist Sister Sarah, who has inherited a fortune -- including a renowned emerald necklace -- from a Philadelphia financier. Using Nat's female ward, Gladden, to pose as an admirer and case the mansion where the woman lives, they set up a perfect break-in. Things get complicated afterwards.