Meredythe (Merrie) Ferrin still feels sadness from the tragedy of losing her hometown beau. At the suggestion of her father she enters an elite academy in Boston to gain knowledge and make new friends. This move gives her a fine opportunity to search for a future husband. The sumptuous balls, given by the rich of Boston, provide the avenues for meeting suitable men. Merrie is a beautiful girl and catches the eye of two discerning men among the Boston elite. The suitors are vastly different in respect to their personalities. One is older and learned with an impeccable reputation and polished manners; the other is young, handsome, exciting, and ambitious. Each man desires fervently to have Merrie as his bride. Merrie has to finally make a choice between them. Her selection proves to be frightening, and she realizes she has made a very poor choice. The thought of a humiliating situation, and more than that, a deceitful husband, forces her to flee to a place where he cannot find her. In Vermont she enjoys painting and the relief brought about by a calm, rural setting. She meets a fine young man but tragedy strikes again. For a young, vibrant woman mourning is not a pleasant time. During her lengthy retirement from joyful activities, Emile, one of her parents' boarders, visits her. During the course of their conversation, he reveals what his secret profession has been. His frequent trips had been much discussed by the other boarders. Merrie travels one day to Greenwood, a mountain town, hoping to get some advice from the friend who helped rescue her from Boston. In an astonishing moment she meets a former friend who changes her life. As he courts Merrie, he reveals his family's agonizing past, and the heinous event which totally changed their lives. The book ends with a reunion of family and friends in Sudbury, New Hampshire. Their picture is taken by a Norwegian photographer. This get-together epitomizes the love that people retain for former friends and relatives who leave town in search of that necessary thing to make their lives complete and happy. The final event of the reunion fulfills Merrie's deep desire and complements her happy marriage.