Wharton creates a portrait of a stunning beauty who, though raised and educated to marry well both socially and economically, is reaching her 29th year, an age when her youthful blush is drawing to a close and her marital prospects are becoming ever more limited. The House of Mirth traces Lily's slow two-year social descent from privilege to a tragically lonely existence on the margins of society.
Tony Gazeco, one of the workers in the factory, is an anarchist and agitator. Being of excitable nature he is looked upon by the other men as a leader and during the lunch hour makes impassionate speeches. Will and May Mason passing in an auto are witnesses to one of the tirades and going to the office of Fred Jackson, the owner, tell him of the probable strike...
John Bronson, Mr. Daly's farmhand, has ambitions and decides to go to the city. He breaks the news to Mr. and Mrs. Daly and their daughter Lottie. They do their utmost to dissuade him from his purpose, but John has made up his mind to go. He gets employment in a department store. Soon he is promoted to a slightly higher position. He has become neglectful of his country friends, and Lottie waits in vain for an answer to her letters.
Lottie Briscoe sees her boyfriend taken away by a scheming woman who defies her father's wishes and pushes back with an attempt to poison him. A detective, Curtis Cooksey, is called in to investigate.
The Rev. Frank Speakman has been to a rural congregation, and is entertained by the members. He is considered a fine catch matrimonially and the ladies set their caps for him. A pretty little milliner is among the contestants and the new minister cannot be blamed for favoring her. The widow with whom the new minister boards, finds an unfinished letter which really is being written to Speakman's sister. The sister's name is Ellen and the milliner's the same, so the letter is an excellent weapon in the hands of a gossip.
