When the soldiers attacked the old home of the Von Hirschsprung family, the father buried his family treasure in the garden. In the fight that followed he was killed but his two sons survived. Having no money, and supposing their fortune stolen, the sons sell the old home to the Hellwig family. Cordula, daughter of old Hellwig, falls in love with Joseph, the younger Von Hirschsprung brother. He returns her affection, but her father will not permit the marriage because of Joseph's poverty. One day Cordula, digging in the garden, unearths the Hirschsprung treasure and tells her father, who makes her vow never to tell of the finding of the money chest. Joseph deprived of his sweetheart, dies in poverty. Broken-hearted Cordula removes her things to an upper apartment and vows she will never enjoy any of the ill-gotten wealth. Years later, the only surviving member of the Von Hirschsprungs marries a strolling player. Ten years later she is killed by accident during her act in the circus and her husband, to save his child from a similar fate, puts her in the care of Cordula's brother Nathan. The child, Fay, finds no welcome in her new home until she meets Cordula, now known as Old Mam'selle. She and Old Mam'selle have adjoining attic rooms and spend much time together. Everyone knows that Old Mam'selle has a secret, but no one knows what it is. The years pass. John, son of the Hellwigs, returns from the Medical University to fall in love with Fay. He is expected to marry Hortense, a rich widow with one child. Fay saves this child from an awful death by fire and wins John's admiration as well as his love. His mother refuses to accept Fay as a daughter. In the midst of all this confusion Old Mam'selle is taken ill. Before she dies she tells Fay that her diary contains her secret and it must die with her. Fay promises to destroy the little book. After Old Mam'selle's death, Fay finds the book and is about to destroy it when John enters the room and sees her. He demands that she give him the diary. She refuses at first but finally yields. Then she goes to her room to pack her things. Feeling herself very unwelcome at the Hellwigs she thinks she had better go away. John opens the little book and reads the whole story of the Hellwig wealth and how it all belongs to the Hirschsprung family. He rushes out of the room with the book and finds Fay ready to leave. She has her grip in her hands. He takes it from her and begs her to remain. As he takes the grip he notices the name Meta Von Hirschsprung, with a crest printed across it. He stares at Fay and asks her whose grip it is. She replies it belonged to her mother who took it with her when she ran away to he married. Then John knows that Fay is the sole remaining member of the once famous Von Hirschsprungs and that the money being enjoyed by the Hellwigs belongs to her. He tells her and she realizes that she is rich, feels free to accept his heart offered to her in the days when he did not know she had a single penny to her name.