Tsing Yu-Ch'ing, a young Chinese, is sent to the U.S. from his native land to study Western civilization and carry on work for his government. After attending an American university, Tsing starts a Chinese newspaper in New York City, and falls in love with a pretty blind girl, Kathleen Levinsky, the daughter of a Jewish father and an Irish mother. Kathleen's life is barren of love and she gladly accepts his attentions. When Dr. Hardwick, a classmate from college, calls on Tsing and meets Kathleen, he offers to cure her blindness through surgery. The operation is a success, but the newly-sighted Kathleen is visibly upset by Tsing's appearance. After saving Kathleen from a killer known as the Hatchetman, Tsing returns to China and commits suicide, believing he will find eternal love with her in the afterlife. Back in the U.S., a mutual attraction develops between Kathleen and Dr. Hardwick.