Squire Schuyler had two lovely daughters. Kate, fair and lovely, was a selfish, petted girl who used her feminine wiles to get her way. Marcia, brunette and the younger of the two, was conscientious and caring and often ended up being used by her sister, whose faults were usually overlooked or excused. Kate met one David Spafford, a fine young journalist with a promising career. He fell head over heels for Kate and took much for granted on account of her fine family. When she eloped with another suitor on the eve of her marriage to David, Marcia offered to step into the place of the bride to save face for the groom.

Marcia lived a lonely life for many months, as her groom grieved the loss of his beloved Kate, never guessing her true heartless nature. When she learned of Marcia's marriage to David, Kate, now practically penniless, put into motion a sinister plot to discredit her sister and take back the well-to-do man she'd rejected. An unlikely angel by the name of Miranda saved the day more than once and earned the love of Marcia and David alike. A great story told during a time of growth for the nation, as railroads were just beginning to take hold.