Good-hearted small-town newspaper owner Kenesaw H. Clark (Will Rogers) has a chance meeting with ex-con Lee Austin, just in time to prevent Austin from committing a crime. When Kenesaw sees something worthwhile in the boy, he takes him in and teaches him to earn an honest wage. He also schools Austin the ways of romance, helping him to woo local beauty Adele Anderson. Austins mere presence in town is enough to irritate town banker Colonel Abercrombie, who still holds a grudge against the man he thinks robbed his bank. When Kenesaw refuses to abandon Austin, Abercrombie shuts down the newspaper. Confused by why the Colonel would still hold a grudge against a man who has already served his time, the old newsman does some digging... with surprising results!