 After County Attorney Dave Connors (Cornel Wilde) helps Julian Norman (Anne Baxter) with her shiftless father, Jefferson Norman (Henry Hull), she leaves Jericho, Kansas to college to study for a law degree.A few years later, Algeria Wedge (Linda Darnell), the new bride of Dave s best friend, Tucker Wedge (Kirk Douglas), makes overtures and plays for Dave, much to the displeasure of Dave s hard-drinking wife Belle (Ann Dvorak.) Angered by Dave s rebuffs, Algeria induces the state political boss to back Tucker for a Congress race against Dave. Meanwhile, Julia has returned to Jericho, with her law degree, and she and Dave fall in love. But when Dave announces he won t run for Congress, she feels she is the reason and she takes a job in Kansas City. Tucker wins the election and he and Algeria go to Washington. Later, Tucker announces a run for the Senate and Dave decides to run against him. When Marjorie Ransome (Coleen Townsend) kills a drunk in self-defense, Julia returns to Jericho to work with Dave, now in private practice,on Marjorie s defense. The still-resentful Algeria moves to kill Dave s senate bid when Tucker s newspaper announces that Dave is being sued for divorce, with Julia named as correspondent.