A young newsboy named Ben contends with a harsh stepfather, household poverty, and limited educational prospects, then leaves home to seek work and betterment. Through episodic scenes he performs small heroic acts, survives narrow escapes, wins friends and rivals, and becomes involved in theatrical and social circles that bring both opportunities and complications. Encounters with lawyers, mysterious incidents, and financial turns test his integrity and resourcefulness. The narrative emphasizes perseverance, charity, self-improvement, and the possibility of upward movement achieved by industry and moral conduct.