Cecilia's parents live very humbly in a tenement. The father is an inventive brick layer but can scarcely pay the expenses incident for the illness of the dying mother Mary. After her death all the cares fall on "Celie", who tries to mother the brother and care for her father. Father McGowan, priest of the parish, is interested in the family and helps the father to sell an invention to his advantage. Celie is sent to a fashionable school where her crude manners make her unpopular. She meets Harry Twombly, who becomes interested in her. Her conduct is misunderstood and she becomes unhappy. She goes abroad and develops into a woman of fine ideals and a beautiful understanding of life. She sees in her father the man he wants to be, but is considerably worried about her brother, who drinks heavily. She meets Twombly again, and he wants to marry her, but she insists that he visit her home and meet her people. There she is greatly embarrassed by her brother's behavior and decides to refuse Twombly, but a miserable escapade of her brother's throws him into the hands of blackmailers where Twombly saves him. She is persuaded that happiness can only be found in their marriage and at last consents.