In a stormy night soldier Hermelinger takes a room at the Rutihauser family in the old town of Zurich. His landlord worry about their youngest daughter Elsie, who is very ill. Hermelinger sneaks into the apartement of student Hablützel, another tenant, to steal his civilian clothes. Hablützel surprises him, the soldier diverts his attention and grabs the students revolver and accidentally shoots into the wall. He suffers from a nervuos breakdown and confesses that he is on the run because has killed his officer with a stone...