Evelyn Dean's husband Franklyn has gambled and drunk away all the money left to her by her first husband, the father of her two daughters, Ann and Dorothy Turner. Fed up, she sends him away to Capetown. Later, she discusses her future with her neighbor, Albert, who used to work as a waiter in a nightclub. When Dean's bookie delivers some gambling profits to her, Albert insists that drinking and gambling owe her something, and suggests that they use the money to take over the Scarecrow Club and sell drinks after hours and conduct gambling in the back room. By its fifth anniversary, the club is doing well enough for Evelyn to send her daughters to an exclusive school but the school insists that the other parents never know her business. One night when Albert is gone from the club, some undercover policemen manage to gain entrance, and the club is raided. Evelyn is sent to prison. Ann and Dorothy leave school because of the scandal, and Ann decides that they should run the club legally, with Dorothy singing to the patronage of their upper class school friends. The club is a success. Ann falls in love with Lord Sevington, the brother of a friend. Dorothy is more frivolous, staying up all night and enjoying lots of flirtations. When Dean comes back to England and visits the club, Dorothy takes his side and starts to give him money against the advice of Ann and Albert. Meanwhile, Evelyn is released from prison. She learns that her daughters are running the club and races there to stop them. Dorothy is so furious that she vows never to talk to her mother again. Dean takes her home, where he tries to rape her. In self-defense, she hits him on the head, killing him. Panicked, she drives away and crashes the car. Before she dies, she regains consciousness long enough to apologize to Evelyn. After Ann and Sevington marry, Evelyn sets the club on fire because it has been the cause of so much unhappiness and walks away as it burns.