America has entered World War I and train engineer Jim Martin decides that enlisting in the military would shatter his beloved mother's frail health. Electing to keep his motives private, townspeople begin to question why he isn't volunteering to serve his country. A freak accident that forces Jim to leap from his train gets the rumor mill churning even faster, and his subsequent demotion only gives credence to the claims that he's a coward. Ostracized...