After Trueman Tisdale, a young officer in the Coast Guard, marries Martha, a pretty young woman, he discovers that her previous relationship with a ne'er-do-well named Nate Sanderson has created gossip in their New England hometown of Bayport. When a ship goes aground one night, Sanderson is saved and brought back to town. Sanderson tries to rekindle his relationship with Martha, who is lonely while her husband is away. This creates so much gossip in Bayport that Trueman's own mother warns him that Martha has been seen in Sanderson's company. During a cliffside confrontation, Martha resists Sanderson's overtures and remains loyal to her husband. When Trueman arrives, he and Martha are on the verge of shooting Sanderson when he tries to protect himself by climbing a tree. When the tree breaks, Sanderson falls off the cliff, after which the young couple are reconciled.