Olive Sherwood, a pretty western girl living in Omaha, is very fond of finery. Young and inexperienced, she knows nothing of the deeper currents of life, but the refinements of society and its polished exteriors appeals to her strongly, and the crude west does not seem to provide what her fastidious nature craves. Her loving old father sighs over her extravagances, but is too indulgent to curb them, and in order to gratify her expensive whims invests in some Red Star mining stock that West, a crafty, unscrupulous New York broker, induces him to buy. On a business trip to Omaha, West sees Olive, and casts an admiring and covetous eye upon her. Horace Watling, his wife Anna, and their child, Ruth, are firm friends of Olive, and Mrs. Watling's love for clothes creates a strong bond between both women. Mr. Watling, who is a small publisher, is induced to come to New York and establish himself there as a partner in a big publishing concern.