In an age-old mission village lives Padre Argos, ministering with wonderful power to the sick, the grieving and the sinful of his quaint flock. In the Padre's flock is a passionate, wayward girl for whom the priest feels much compassion, because she has been misled by the town swaggerer, Juan Mendoza, but Piedad, the gossip of the community, leads the people to a misunderstanding of the Padre's tender humility and love of justice. One moonlight night Maria lays a new-born babe on the church steps with a pathetic note to the Padre, appealing to him to find a home for her child. In the morning as the villagers are on their way to work a crowd collects at the church to look at the baby, and Piedad, the hypocrite, warns the simple folk not to touch this child of sin, or they themselves win be contaminated. All fall back from the innocent babe as from a thing unclean. Padre Argos comes from the church, reads the pathetic note, takes the babe in his arms, kisses it, and demands if there is no woman in the crowd with mother enough in heart to adopt and raise the child. All hang back save the good wife of Eduardo, the village baker, who comes forward and takes the baby from the Padre. The Padre then rebukes Piedad for her un-Christian tongue, and in this moment Piedad becomes embittered forever against the family of the baker and their adopted daughter. Elsa, the little outcast, grows up and for twenty years is kept in ignorance of her origin. But the day comes when Pedro, the son of a rich merchant, falls in love with Elsa. The merchant himself is very proud of his pedigree, and is in constant fear of any stain being cast on the family name. Piedad, whose disposition has not improved with age, knows this, and she satisfies her craving for revenge against Elsa by informing old Don Luis of the origin of the girl his son is courting. Then tragic events follow fast, with dear old Padre Argos, the protector and comforter of the girl he has loved as his own daughter since he first found her on the church steps. Pedro deserts Elsa when threatened with disinheritance by his father, and the beautiful girl turns to her only refuge, the church. There only may the indelible stain which lies on her innocent soul be cleansed away. She takes the veil and disappears forever into the convent, with old Padre Argos bidding her a last farewell at the gate. Written by Moving Picture World synopsis

• Plot Summary

• Short
• Drama