Trude knows that her widowed brother-in-law, Theo will marry her when his young daughter is grown. She has loved him since he came courting her sister, years ago. She is content to wait. Meanwhile, always independent and venturesome, she is active in the politics of getting women the vote. Her relationship with the renowned Dr. Alexander Goodlett deepens. She develops a career in progressive education, with Dr. Goodlett's encouragement. Her standing as an educator takes a temporary detour when Dr. Goodlett misconstrues her friendship with Virgilia Eustace, whom she lives with in Boston.Trude and her younger sister Ella care for their dying mother and endure the shockingly sudden loss of their brother. Family matters fill her life. She reconciles with Dr. Goodlett, but rejects his proposal to remain at home and wait for Theo. Meanwhile, her niece, Nonie, blossoms into young womanhood. When the time comes for Theo to propose, Trude is deeply disappointed when he chooses another. Her efforts to change his mind fail. Trude picks up the pieces of her life. With Virgilia, she progresses in teaching and an independent existence.