Lena Rivers is the orphaned granddaughter of Granny Nichols. Lena's mother Helena had gone to the city and secretly married Harry Graham, a young Southerner who assumed the name of Rivers as a prank. He was falsely accused of murder and sent to prison. Helena, thinking he deserted her, returns home to give birth and die of a broken heart. Granny rears Lena, but poverty compels them to seek a home with Granny's son John in Kentucky. Lena's cousin Caroline makes her life miserable with her jealousy, contriving to blacken her reputation when Durward Belmont falls in love with Lena instead of Caroline. Durward's mother has married Graham, who realizes upon meeting Lena that she is his daughter, but makes her promise not to tell his secret. Lena's happiness is very nearly wrecked before the truth is revealed, but Graham finally makes known his relationship to her and all ends well.