A stranger with a mysterious past arrives in a small quiet Ohio town and forever changes the lives he touches. Joseph Cotten stars as Chris Hale the enigmatic drifter who comes to the town to assume an ordinary life: he takes a room at a boarding house and finds a job at the local shoe factory. Hale also takes a liking to his boss's daughter Elaine (Alida Valli) who is permanently confined to a wheelchair due to a skiing accident. Elaine is deeply embittered by her disability but she feels a strange attraction for Hale though she knows nothing of his past. It is only when some other strangers arrive in town searching for Hale that the truth is learned about his identity. Will Elaine's love for him be strong enough to withstand this startling revelation?