The Story of Bob and Sally

John and Martha Wright are at City Hospital eagerly awaiting the birth of their first grandchild, but are shocked when Dr. Loren Carey informs them that their grandson has been born blind as a result of syphilis. The doctor advises Mrs. Wright against seeing her daughter, Helen Cooper, who has been separated from husband Jim for some time, as her mental condition is not stable. At home, Mr. Wright tries to locate Jim, and is about to go to an address he has been given when he receives word from the hospital that the baby has died. Mr. Wright finds Jim, drunk on whiskey, in a slum neighborhood and tells him what has happened. Jim begins to sober up and remembers his wedding reception, which was attended by both sets of parents, Dr. Carey and Helen's sixteen-year old sister Sally and her boyfriend, Bob Jordan: Sally and Bob have been going steady, but are deemed much too young to marry. When Sally tries to talk with her mother about sexual matters, her mother becomes flustered and tells her she is too young to be thinking of such things. A few days later, at breakfast, Helen returns home alone from her honeymoon, saying that she has left Jim. A few minutes later, Jim arrives, and as Helen is upstairs with her mother, he talks with Mr. Wright. That evening, when her parents are out, Jim returns and makes up with Helen. Three months later, Bob and Sally slip away from a dance party early, drive to a spot beside a moonlit lake and fall into each other's arms. A few days later, Jim leaves some drinking cronies at a bar and returns home to quietly celebrate three months of married life with Helen, but Helen reminds him that they are due at a friend's house for cocktails, strenuously resists his romantic advances and leaves. Jim then calls his pals, who arrange to get him a female companion for the evening. When Jim finally returns, Helen tells him that she did not go to the party but returned to find him gone and asks for his forgiveness. Several weeks later, when Sally discovers that she is pregnant, Bob suggests that they get married. Bob wants to talk to her parents, but Sally says they are only dreaming as their families would never give their consent. Sally intends to terminate the pregnancy and seeks help from Helen. However, Helen has troubles of her own as Jim has been drinking steadily and she is pregnant. Later, Bob tells Sally that he has been talking with some of his older friends who have told him about a "doctor" who was kicked out of medical school and can probably help. Bob changes his mind and will not allow Sally to go through the procedure, but after she threatens suicide, he agrees. To finance the operation, Bob steals a diamond ring belonging to his mother, but is observed by a policeman as he leaves a pawn shop. He then arranges to meet Sally at the doctor's office the next day. However, when Sally goes to the dingy, tenement office, Bob is not there and she is greeted by a brusque, disreputable-looking man. Meanwhile, Bob and his parents are at a police station, where Bob is being asked about the ring. After the operation, Sally leaves the doctor's office in pain and in tears. When Sally passes out on the bus home, a friend of her mother, who is also on the bus, gets her to the hospital. There, Dr. Carey informs Sally's parents that, after transfusions, she will pull through, but can never have a child due to the crudeness of the "surgery." Later, an agonized Bob tells both sets of parents that he wants to marry Sally and always did. Several months pass as Sally completely recovers and makes plans to marry Bob. Their fathers realize that they must do more than just help a young couple financially, that they must also supply knowledge to see them through the first difficult years of marriage. They seek advice from Dr. Carey, who tells them that the local board of health can supply pamphlets, movies, etc. Later, after Bob and Sally have married, Dr. Carey makes a house call to talk with Helen, telling her that Jim has cured himself of alcoholism and wants to return to her. After Helen says that she will do her part to make the marriage work, Dr. Carey reveals that he has brought Jim with him, and Helen and Jim reunite.