Lena Rivers is the orphaned grandchild of Granny Nichols. Lena's mother Helena has gone to the city and secretly married Harry Graham, a young Southerner who has assumed the name of Rivers as a prank. He is falsely accused of murder and sent to prison. Helena, thinking she is deserted, returns to her home to 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, and when Durward Belmont falls in love with Lena, Caroline, who also loves him. contrives to blacken Lena's reputation. Graham has married Durward's mother in the meantime and meeting Lena realizes 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 all ends well.