Van Pelt, millionaire owner of tenements on the East Side, neglects the necessary rebuilding of them, while he makes handsome presents to his wife. A fire occurs on the day when he has been finally induced to visit the buildings. He loses his life in the flames. Rosa Castilli. a former servant of the Van Pelt's, loses her husband and child in the fire and rushes half maddened with grief to the Van Pelt home. She forces her way to Mrs. Van Pelt's room and curses her, catching her by the throat. She is dragged away by the servants, leaving Mrs. Van Pelt in a faint. When the baby is born, the mother (Mrs. Van Pelt) is not allowed to see it. One morning, early, she makes her way to the room where the child is asleep, and sees on its cheek the mark of the fingers of a hand. The shock kills her. The child, little Leonore, grows up under the care and influence of her aunt. The mark fades from her cheek, but returns at long intervals under the stress of anger. Leonore meets Richard Travers, an architect, who has specialized in model tenements. She consents to his making plans for rebuilding hers. Worthington, his friend, warns him that the fads of rich girls may mean very little. But Richard loves Leonore and believes in her. A society fop, Lawrence Algernon, is a suitor for her hand, and is favored by her aunt, who does not approve of Richard on account of his poverty. At last, her aunt persuades Leonore that Richard is after her money, and prevails upon her to accept Algernon. When Richard calls with the contemplated plans which have taken him months to finish, the aunt sends him away with the curt message that she has changed her mind. He telephones to Leonore, railing at her for her neglect of her tenements, for her selfishness, and calling her worthless. She is seized with a terrible anger, and the mark returns. The maid who sees it, runs with the story to Algernon, who sends word that he has been called away. This brings Leonore to her senses, especially when she receives a letter from Worthington, telling her that Travers has gone out of her life forever. She takes this to mean that he is dead and resolves to devote her life to the work he would have done. She veils her face, and visits the poor in the tenements. She forms a brotherhood club for the men workers. One of them, Volkutz, who suspects her identity, and hates her on account of the loss of his father and mother in the fire in which her father had lost his life, plans to be revenged on her. He waits for her when she goes to consult Worthington on the rebuilding of the tenements, and calling her by name, tells her that the Brotherhood would like to see her at their meeting that night. She says that it is imperative that she should not be recognized until her work is accomplished, and that she will appear at the meeting. Volkutz then meets some of his fellows and raves against the Veiled Lady as she is called. One of them goes to Worthington's office, and tells him that the Veiled Lady is in danger. Richard Travers is there, and the two go to the meeting. Leonore is welcomed by the men, and led to the platform by Volkutz. He then denounces her and says that the reason that she never shows her face is that she is the owner of the miserable kennels in which they live. They demand that she take off her veil. They are threatening her, when Travers and Worthington break in. Volkutz shoots at Travers, but the police come and the agitators are taken into custody, while Travers carries Leonore out of danger. The next day, he goes to see her. She tells him that she can never marry him and takes off her veil to show him the mark. It has disappeared. Richard tells her that it is her soul that he has always loved and they are happy.