After the great Chicago fire, Daniel Pardway moves to the windy city to be near his brother Thane and build a department store dynasty. Daniel selects a site where all the car lines will converge and sets about building his empire with the help of his faithful employee, Abe Ullman. Four children are born to Daniel and his wife Abigail, and with the advent of each child, a new department is opened in the store. Abigail dies before Daniel can realize his dream of building a family empire, and as the children grow to adulthood, they disappoint their father by pursuing their own dreams rather than joining the family business. Daughter Phoebe marries a phony prince, while her married brother Gene gets mixed up with Viola, a dance hall singer who inadvertently causes Thane's death. Yet another son, Bert, leaves the store to conduct music, while Daniel's final hope is shattered when his youngest son Freddie gets in trouble with Mamie, a greedy store employee, and leaves home. Despite his disappointment, Daniel divides eighty percent of the store stock among his children, only to have all but Freddie sell the stock to pursue their own ambitions. Abe, now general manager of the store, buys back all the stock from the bank, thus saving the Pardway empire, and Daniel finally sees his dream realized when Freddie returns to the store as an employee, thus ensuring the continuation of the Pardway legacy.