Around Thanksgiving, Ona doesn't return home one night after work. Jurgis goes to her factory the next morning to wait for her. When she arrives, Ona explains that she couldn't make it home because of the storm and spent the night with a friend. A month later Ona again does not return home, but this time Jurgis is not concerned until he stops by her friend's house only to find that Ona did not spend the night there nor had she ever done so.
Her fellow employees know the truth but refuse to reveal it to Jurgis. By chance he notices Ona on a streetcar and follows her home. He demands to know the truth about her whereabouts, and Ona reveals to Jurgis that she has been to her forelady's house. It takes Jurgis a moment to realize exactly what this means. When he finally understands, he finds out that Connor, one of her bosses, has been taking her downtown, using threats against her family as leverage to make Ona comply with his wishes.
Jurgis storms from the house enraged, and rushes to the plant. There he finds Connor and attacks him, attempting to strangle him. Many men are needed to pull Jurgis off of Connor, and eventually Jurgis is taken to the company police station to await a patrol wagon.
