The film is based on a tale of a young man, George Eastman, and a young woman, Alice Tripp, whose love leads to tragedy. George is raised by a religious mother and hails from a humble background. On the other hand, Alice is a farmgirl-turned-factory employee. Both are hired in a factory belonging to George’s uncle, Charles Eastman. Charles decides to provide George with a job in his factory after he visits him in town. George is hardworking and soon is promoted to a higher position. After promotion, George starts cheating on Alice. To make matter worse, Alice is pregnant.
George finds himself attracted to a wealthy woman, Angela Vickers. Angela and George spend time together during Labor Day. Alice becomes infuriated and threatens to spill the beans. Sensing the danger, George takes Alice to a mountain lake resort. George rents a boat intending to drown Alice. In the boat, the two talk about a happy future. However, a tragedy occurs when the boat capsizes and Alice drowns. George has a chance to rescue her but he chooses to swim to shore. Later, he is arrested and sentenced to death.
The central theme of this film is the true nature and danger of love. Love is presented as an intense passion that sometimes leads to violent activities. Alice is in real love but George has no love in return. Specifically, George has fallen for someone else. Generally, the film cautions the audience about the dangers of falling in love too hard. Alice falls in love too hard and ends up in death.
