Plot

Sylvia Mason, a mysterious girl, lives in a cabin by herself and sells her bead work to the visitors at a large hotel nearby. At the hotel, Sylvia meets Easterner Henry Hilliard, who falls in love with her, but she refuses to marry him and will not explain her reasons. Thus Henry returns East without learning that Sylvia's father had been murdered by his private secretary Jack Leslie in revenge for her refusal to marry him. One night after Henry's departure, Leslie, now known as the outlaw "The Shadow", breaks into Sylvia's cabin. There is a struggle that leaves Sylvia unconscious, and when she awakens she finds a note claiming that because Leslie has violated her, she must marry him. Meanwhile Henry's mother, horrified that her son wants to marry this strange girl, informs Sylvia that their marriage would destroy him. Sylvia agrees to give up Henry, but he learns her story from Padre Constantine and goes to search for her. Sylvia has gone to Leslie and Henry follows. In the ensuing fight, Henry forces Leslie to admit with his dying breath that he has lied to Sylvia.

Sylvia Mason lives alone in her mountain cabin on the timber claim which was the only unmortgaged piece of property left at the time of her father's death. Henry Hilliard, a wealthy young easterner traveling in the west, buys some of the beadwork Sylvia makes and falls in love with her. It is while Henry is on a visit back home that Sylvia is startled one night to see a man crawling toward her door as though wounded. He implores her aid and she helps him into her cabin. No sooner is he inside than he points a revolver at her head, and demands that she hide him from the border police. When Sergeant Keen comes with his men she is obliged to say she has seen no one. When the men have gone the outlaw emerges, and Sylvia recognizes in him Jack Leslie, her father's partner, who had demanded her hand in marriage and when refused ruined her father in business and then caused his death. Leslie tells her he is still in love with her. He tries to take her in his arms. They struggle and she falls to the floor, striking her head against the table and losing consciousness. Before he goes he writes a note to her threatening her. Days later when Sylvia regains consciousness, she finds the kind face of old Padre Constantine bending over her. Henry returns from his Eastern trip to see Sylvia, and comes to her bedside, but she turns her face away, believing herself no longer worthy to be his wife. Henry cannot understand her attitude, and Padre Constantine. knowing the true, pure heart of the girl, does not tell him the reason. Mrs. Hilliard. purse-proud and haughty, comes from the east and offers Sylvia a substantial check to release Henry from his promise to marry her. Sylvia accepts it, tearing it up as soon as she is alone. Leslie returns to the neighborhood and sends a messenger to Sylvia's cabin, telling her she must come to him. She answers the call because she is determined to be revenged. Taking her revolver, she goes to the hut he has mentioned and a struggle ensues. Leslie hears someone approaching and dashes away on his horse. Hilliard, with the sheriff's posse, follows. At a turn in the road they lose track of him and separate. Hilliard takes to the desert alone and comes upon the outlaw. There is an exchange of shots and Leslie falls, mortally wounded. But determined that he shall not die alone, he fires a shot that punctures the canteen of water at Henry's side. With his last breath Leslie confesses his love for Sylvia and acknowledging her innocence. The posse, with Sylvia at its head, finds Henry unconscious in the desert. As soon as he is revived he tells her Leslie's last words. A wedding in the little town is witnessed and sanctioned by Henry's mother, now proud to have so noble a girl for her daughter-in-law, and the trail of the shadow is gone forever.