Miss Ellen Howard is mortified when she finds that her benefactors, Mr. and Mrs. Richardson, have organized for her to marry Mr Mark Brooks, who is the most sleazy and immoral man Ellen has yet to meet, with his roving eye for the ladies on show for all to see.

Ellen cannot believe the man has no shame regarding his outrageous actions.

As a means of escape, Ellen responds to a Mail Order Bride advertisement and travels to marry Ezra Kelly, a blacksmith, who cares for his orphaned niece and nephew. Ellen fully intends to leave Ezra once she has fulfilled her promise to wed, after all, he is just a means to escape the clutches of Mark Brooks, isn't he?

However, when fate intervenes Ellen begins to re-evaluate her life, can she bring herself to leave all that has now become so dear to her?