While looking for a place to rent on Florida's east coast, scientist John Gaylord meets widow Ann Gracie outside her rambling house. Because she seems deeply disturbed by something, John offers to drive her into town. He drops her at the home of her friends, artist C. L. Shawn and his wife Thalia. They invite John inside, and there, Ann reveals that while packing the possessions of her dead husband Bill, she heard his voice. John is skeptical, but Shawn professes his belief in life after death. Later that evening, John suffers an epileptic attack at his hotel, and the following day, he visits a doctor, who explains that John's condition is deteriorating. After John rents Ann's house, her flirtatious sister Lisa pays him a visit. John questions Lisa about Ann, and learns that Bill was killed during the war. Rather than leave town, as Lisa advises, Ann takes a job managing an auto court near her house. One day, John encounters her walking along the beach, and again, Ann insists that she heard Bill's voice that day in the house. Later, John drops in on Shawn, who questions his beliefs about death. John has kept his epilepsy a secret from his new friends, but at an exhibition of Shawn's work, Shawn accidentally discovers the truth. Lisa continues to visit John, but when she kisses him, he rebuffs her advances. One day, while John spends the day with Shawn and his family, Ann is drawn to the house and again hears Bill's voice advising her not to live in her memory. She is still sitting in the house when John returns, and he comforts her. Soon, Ann and John fall in love. One night, John has another, much stronger, seizure. He considers suicide, but is interrupted by the arrival of Dr. Poole, who had treated him in Chicago. Poole explains that John telephoned him during the night while still suffering from the effects of his seizure. Learning of John's love for Ann, Poole advises him to tell her the truth about his condition, but John decides to break off their relationship. The following day, Poole and Shawn have a philosophical discussion, and during its course, Poole reveals that John is getting sicker. When Shawn later realizes that Ann has fallen deeply in love with John, he is disturbed and tells her about John's illness. John holds a dinner party in Poole's honor, and as a hurricane approaches, a drunken Lisa jealously starts to verbally attack Ann. After the storm knocks out the lights, John and Ann search for lamps, and she reveals that she knows about his condition, but does not care. Lisa overhears and taunts John, who leaves the room. Ann follows, and finding him with a gun, begs him not to kill himself. Passionately, she describes the eternal nature of love and proclaims her belief that all happiness should be embraced, even if it only lasts for a short time. Persuaded to accept Ann's love, John decides not to commit suicide.