When Robert Moore, a struggling mill owner, decides to replace many of his employees with a new piece of machinery, a group of protesters destroy it before it is delivered. As the problems with his mill mount, he starts to become despondent. His cousin Caroline, a frequent visitor to the Moore home is infatuated with Robert, yet he also is inaccessible to her desires. When Caroline is eventually forbidden to visit the Moore home by her overbearing uncle, she is resolved to spend her life doing charitable work. Through her uncle, Caroline is introduced to Shirley Keeldar, a wealthy and independent woman who wants to donate her money to aid the poor. They become very close friends, and eventually Caroline is convinced that Shirley and Robert will marry. When the threats from laid-off mill workers increase, and soon after the mill is attacked, the conflicts of both love and class explode.