Martha Terryton, a prudish grade school teacher living in Vermont with her two maiden aunts, takes a job as an illustrator of children's books at the McGrath House publishing company in New York City. Soon after arriving in New York, Martha learns that McGrath House's "foremost children's book author," Greg Rawlings, known to his young readers as "Uncle Bumps," has threatened to leave for Canada before completing his latest book. Though caught up in the romantic pursuit of Tillie Smith, Greg an alcoholic playboy, quickly turns his attentions to Martha when he first meets her in the publishing house lobby. Martha, unaware that she is speaking with "Uncle Bumps," agrees to join him on a coffee break. At the café, Greg secretly "spikes" the coffee with alcohol, and the two get drunk. When a café patron reveals Greg's identity, Martha leaves in tears and threatens to expose "Uncle Bumps" as a fraud. Still drunk, Martha tells publisher John McGrath that she is too tipsy to meet her prim cousin Helen Oldfield for dinner. Helen, the secretary of the Juvenile Betterment Society, has the power to ban all of Greg's books, and consequently, McGrath tries to keep his relationship with Martha in good standing. Mcgrath tries to calm Martha by telling her that Greg is a widower who drinks to cope with his grief and his worries about his son. Helen believes McGrath's lie, but to keep the story alive, McGrath searches for a juvenile delinquent boy to pose as Greg's son. While visiting the Brindley Home for Boys, McGrath finds a young boy named Danny to play the part in his hoax. After meeting the ill-mannered Danny, Martha recommends that he spend a day in the country, and insists on joining Greg and Danny on a trip to the Junior Woodsman camp. The unexpected trip to the country forces Greg to cancel his plans to meet Tillie, who has come to New York in the hopes of rekindling her romance with him. Greg's hoax soon goes awry when Danny decides that he wants to reform and be adopted by Greg. In time, Greg falls in love with Martha, and the two plan to get married. Martha, however, breaks off the engagement when she discovers the truth about Danny. Still wanting to adopt Danny, Martha realizes that the only way to do so is to marry Bruce Kope Johnson, her hapless hometown sweetheart. Martha's wedding to Bruce seems inevitable until Danny succeeds in delaying the ceremony long enough for Greg to arrive and elope with her. Martha willingly returns to Greg's arms, and the two look forward to adopting Danny.