Impatient and annoyed at Mary's girlish ways, her aunt, with whom she lives, wants her to assume more responsibility and spend her time more profitably. Mary is a regular romp, and cannot control her light-heartedness and buoyant spirit sufficiently to take things seriously. She flirts with the grocer's boy and her aunt locks her in her room. Mary finds a boy's suit she wore in a school play and after dressing herself in the clothes, she climbs out of the window and enjoys a day of perfect freedom. She goes into a neighbor's orchard and steals apples from the tree. John Benson, a young man, who occupies the premises, sees her and gives chase. When he catches her by the collar and shakes her, she pulls away from him and her hat falls off and her long hair falls about her shoulders. He is surprised to learn that she is a girl. He tells her to go home and when she refuses, he picks her up and carries her there, and advises her aunt to keep her close at home. Mary thinks he is a mean old thing and decides to get square with him. She dresses herself in her grown-up clothes and when he calls at the house to return the hat she had dropped in the orchard, he is stunned to see Mary standing before him transformed into a lovely young lady. He is impressed with her dignified manner and falls hopelessly in love with her. He proposes to her, but she refuses him with apparent scorn. He cannot get Mary out of his mind and the truth is, Mary can think of no one else but him. Later in the day, they meet by accident at the crossroads, and when he again tells her he loves her, she confesses she loves him. Clasped in each other's arms, they are so absorbed in each other that they are entirely oblivious to all else.