Plot

Oswald Lane is welcomed by his hometown as a war hero and enjoys recounting his adventures to anyone who will listen. He accepts an invitation to stay in the home of his rather colorless brother, Andrew, and is soon not only making love to Martha, the Belgian maid, but is also finding Andrew's wife, Hester, receptive to his flirting. After stealing money entrusted to Andrew by his church, Oswald is on his way out of town when he passes a school fire, rescues several children, and is himself seriously burned. Andrew offers his own skin for grafting, and Oswald directs Hester to return the money.—AFI

Oswald Lane returns home, from World War I, a decorated soldier, handsome, and admired by his townspeople. His older brother Andrew, an insurance salesman, has a wife, Hester, and a son, Andy. Andrew was kept out of the war by family obligations, and broken arches. Andrew is a colorless individual, and also walks with a limp. Still, Andrew welcomes home his brother, as does his mother and Martha, a lovely Belgian refugee who works as a maid in the Oswald home. Martha remains bashful before Oswald's admiring eyes, but he finally wins her heart. Andrew insists that Oswald share their home until he settles in. Andrew even gets his brother a job at his office, and buys a new suit for him. Oswald gladly accepts the suit, but isn't so interested in the job. He spends the day with Martha and Andrew's little son, while Andrew and his boss wait for him to keep an appointment he had made. At a rally held at Leavitt's Grove, Oswald proves so entertaining with his tales of heroism overseas that the spectators gladly donate over $500 for a church building fund. That evening, Andrew, who serves as church treasurer, worries about the cash he is holding in his desk. Oswald offers to sleep in the parlor and guard the money, much to Andrew's relief. Hester, Andrew's wife, decides to make Oswald more comfortable on the couch by retrieving a blanket. Before she can perform the errand, Oswald tells her of his loneliness and lack of understanding from his family. He implies his life might have been different had he met a woman like Hester. He begins to put his arm around her, but Hester slips away. A short time later, clad in a negligee, she returns to the parlor with a blanket. Martha, jealous and worried, sees Hester and follows her. Hester enters the parlor just as Oswald is lifting the cover of the desk and taking the church funds. Heather gasps. Martha arrives and casts an accusing look at Hester. Oswald, irritated by the interruption, brushes them both aside and rushes upstairs. All night, Hester keeps watch on Oswald to make sure he does not leave with the money. In the morning, she pleads with him, then threatens him. He dares her to call the police and have it be known that the brother of the church treasurer is a thief. Hester steps aside, and lets him leave. Andrew arrives, ignorant of what has transpired. Andrew goes to open the cover of the desk to retrieve the money. Hester is about to tell him the truth about his brother. At that moment, a fire alarm is heard. A neighbor rushes in to say that kindergarten is burning - and Andrew's son is inside. Oswald, passing the school, see the flames and immediately dashes into the blazing structure. He rescues most of the children. Then he rushes back in to save the last. The floor collapses and he is seriously burned. Semi-conscious, he is taken back to Andrew's house. A doctor says that Oswald will need a skin graft to survive. Oswald, stroking the hand of an admiring Martha, whispers to Hester to take the money from his pocket and return it to the desk. Andrew, oblivious to the fact that his brother had taken the money, offers to give up his skin for the operation. Andrew's mother and Hester now realize that there are two heroes in their family.