Emmy Morgan lives with her parents and sister in humble circumstances far from the big city. Emmy's only goal is to marry well in order to attain all the luxuries in life. Her sister, on the other hand, is content with her humble surroundings and modest marriage. After her father dies, Emmy persuades the family to use the insurance money to move to the city. There she meets Chanler, an author, and wins his affection. When the writer goes to Virginia for a rest after finishing his book, however, Emmy stays behind and marries an elderly rich man. She gains her dreams of luxury, but realizes that money cannot compensate for love. After her husband's death, Chanler returns, but having discovered Emmy's shallow values and disloyalty, he rejects her. Emmy then attempts to retrieve all that she has lost, but after pursuing a series of wealthy men, she sadly realizes that she has lost the greatest prize of all, love.