Marianne Madison is the sought-after daughter of merchant John Madison, and is courted by wealthy Wade Trumbull and physician Dick Lindley, while her older sister Laura is ignored. Marianne merely toys with Wade, because her real affection is for Dick. One evening she deserts Dick on a date when city slicker Valentine Corliss flirts with her at a movie theater, then invites her for a drive. Marianne brings Valentine home to meet her family, who are impressed with the young businessman. Valentine tells John that he works for a syndicate that is planning to build a factory in their city, and offers a prestigious position to John if he will rally the local merchants to support the factory. Marianne sends Dick to keep company with Laura while she spends time with Valentine. A month later, Valentine encourages John to sign a letter verifying the integrity of the proposed factory. John refuses to sign as he is not sure of the project, even though Marianne throws hysterics and the excitement causes John himself to collapse. Meanwhile, Laura and Marianne's brother Hedrick shows Dick Laura's personal diary, in which she proclaims her love for him. Valentine gathers $50,000 from local businessmen after Marianne forges his letter, and together they run away to Columbus, Ohio, where Valentine deserts Marianne in a cheap hotel. Humbled, Marianne returns home with the intention of marrying Dick, but he has fallen in love with Laura and they are engaged. When John is denounced by angry local businessmen for signing Valentine's letter and inducing them into the scam, Marianne confesses her misdeed, and the businessmen decline to press charges when John promises to repay them. A wiser woman, Marianne consents to marry Wade.
