Hero Herbert Carr is the son of a war widow who had assumed her husband's place as postmaster of the small rural town in Waynesboro. Widow Carr is upset because Squire Walsingham is using his political influence to take the post away from the widow to put into the hands of his nephew, Ebenezer Graham, the local miser and shopkeeper. Walsingham succeeds in his efforts and the post is given to Mr. Graham. Since Mr. Graham is uncertain of how to run a post office, he offers to hire Herbert for a pittance to run things until he learns what must be done. However, Mr. Graham's son, Eben Graham, a fop/spendthrift, returns from Boston where he had been a shop clerk. Fired because of his own arrogance, he returns home seeking employment. Mr. Graham fires Herbert and hires his son. Herbert is at first dismayed, but then encounters his patron, George Melville, a young man who is incredibly wealthy (the amount of his fortune is never disclosed), who had trained to be a lawyer but was forced to abandon his practice due to consumption. He offers Herbert an extravagant amount weekly to engage him in outdoor activities to cure his illness. Henry is extremely happy with this opportunity to care for his mother and readily agrees. When Eben hears about Herbert's windfall, he is outraged, feeling that he would be the better companion. After going to Melville's hotel suite and asking him for Herbert's job (and being refused), he organizes a plot of false accusation to have Herbert arrested on charges of theft from the post office. Although Herbert is taken before the judge, his previous good behavior convinces all involved that he is innocent. Furthermore, George Melville uses his education in law to prove that Eben was the true thief in cross-examination.