Edwina Parkhurst has a guilty secret, one that she has lied, contrived, and connived to keep hidden. Knowing full well that what she does is denounced as a terrible sin, preached against in pulpits, seen as Satan's handiwork by the God-fearing people in her world, and especially by the family she loves and has supported for years, Edwina continues her sinful ways. She has no choice if she is to keep a roof over her family's heads, food on the table, and garments suitable to their station.