After the end of the Civil War, Becky Pryor decides to return to the C-Circle-C ranch in Texas just a year after she went there for what she thought was going to be Carrie Conway's wedding but turned out to be her friend's funeral. Carrie's invalid mother now complaines to Becky that the truth is not known about her daughter's suicide. A suspiciously quiet ranch hand, a Northerner, offers to help Becky find out why Carrie might have hanged herself -- if indeed she did.