Based on a true story from 1917 New Orleans, the film is a social conscience drama about Gabrielle Darley, a young woman who escapes her cruel home life only to be drawn into prostitution. Believing her lover cares for her, she works as a prostitute until he abandons her to marry someone else. She finds him in Los Angeles and kills him after a confrontation. Though acquitted, Gabrielle struggles to escape her past due to societal judgment, highlighting the difficulties faced by "fallen" women seeking redemption.