In 1895, a pair of confidence women, sisters Letty and Jane Stanton, finagle $25,000 out of married millionaire Oswald T. Lederer by taking an incriminating photograph of him with the pretty Jane. While on their way to Canada by way of the small town of Grove Falls, Maine, the sisters take refuge from a storm in the house of Robbie McCleary, a kind-hearted gravestone sculptor. Robbie soon discovers the women's racket and forces them to turn over the money and work for him at the house, which he rents from the town's wealthy shrew, Hester Rivercomb. The shiftless sheriff, Vern Tewilliger, who is a friend of Robbie's, has been faking a bum leg for weeks in order to avoid making the round of evictions Hester has ordered, which include Robbie. To save the town's poor from Hester's wickedness, Robbie begins to deplete the women's money by secretly giving it away in their name. One night a mob forms outside of Robbie's house, and Letty and Jane think they are about to be arrested when, one by one, the townspeople thank them for their kindness. After babysitting a poor widower's children, and seeing David, a young boy with a crippled leg, limp for lack of a brace, Jane begins to soften her hard attitude, and willingly gives the money away. Meanwhile, Sam Stoaks, the town's deputy sheriff who is trying to build a power plant to bring electricity to the town, falls in love with both sisters. In order to determine which one he should marry, Sam invites Jane to a look-out at Crown Point, and she kisses him. Later, while looking through a telescope, Jane sees Robbie taking their blackmail money from the Rivercomb Mausoleum, for which he has been carving a bust of Hester in anticipation of her death. At the town's power plant meeting the next day, Letty offers to match Hester's contribution of $15,000 for the plant, planning to steal both sums and skip town. Later, after Jane, who is completely reformed, tells Letty their money is in Hester's tomb, Letty divulges her plan to steal it, along with Hester's contribution. Touched by her seemingly generous offer for his power plant, Sam proposes to Letty instead of Jane, and Letty finally admits to Jane that she loves him. As Letty and Jane are deciding what they should do, a storm breaks, and lightning strikes Robbie's house, which goes up in flames. When Sam goes in to rescue the women , Vern pulls off his phony leg cast and saves Sam. David then tells Robbie that the women are heading for the river, and he goes to say goodbye. Suddenly remorseful, Jane and Letty return the money to Robbie, planning to go to New York and face arrest. Letty also gives Sam's engagement ring to Robbie. After serving a jail sentence, Letty and Jane return to Grove Falls in time for Christmas. Letty is reunited with Sam, while Jane kisses Hester's sweet nephew, Abel.