Naomi is almost to term with her fourth child when Ed decides to leave taking all their money and the oldest son Curtis. With the sheriff after him, he is in no mood to think of his family. When he struggles with Naomi, he is killed. Naomi dumps his body out in the swamp and keeps tells no one. She then moves to town and finds works. When the sheriff comes lookin' for Ed, she moves to Waldo and changes her last name. She starts sewing at home and eventually has her own shop called 'Naomi's'. She is tough on the kids, but loving, to make them strong as she promises herself that she will one day go back and stand trial for what happened to Ed. When the kids are of age, and all have good jobs, she finds that she has fallen in love with a newspaperman named Naylor. Circumstances then conspire to make her take that train ride back.