Ronnie Rand, Required to marry before she is 21 or lose her inheritance, Ronnie Rand meets Pierre Martel, member of a gang of thieves, and, convinced that he is a "real man," she marries him. Pierre's confederates attempt to blackmail Ronnie, and when she refuses to sign a check they try to kill Pierre; but police arrive in time to save him. Pierre is revealed to be a U. S. Intelligence Service agent. Ronnie, though somewhat disappointed that her husband is not at all a crook, accepts the situation.
A wealthy young Southern aristocrat, Joseph, graduates from a seminary and, before he takes charge of his assigned parish, decides to go out and see what "the real world" is all about. He winds up in New Orleans and finds himself attracted to a poor, unsophisticated orphan girl, Bessie. One thing leads to another, and before long Bessie finds that she is pregnant with Joseph's child.