Summary
Peggy Winston inherits a sprawling timber camp from her late father, a domain where the rough‑handed lumberjacks—affectionately called "jacks"—revere her as both overseer and confidante. When Clayton Hargis, the urbane scion of a millionaire shipbuilder, arrives to negotiate an exclusive contract for the camp's entire output, the encounter ignites a quiet obsession within Peggy. The moment Clayton slips into the treacherous river, Peggy, driven by instinct and affection, plunges after him, rescuing the bewildered heir from a watery death. Yet Clayton remains oblivious to her devotion, his thoughts fixed on business and the impending union with his aristocratic fiancée. Invited by Clayton's sister to experience city life, Peggy trades her utilitarian corduroys and spiked boots for silken gowns, blossoming into a vision of refined femininity. The glittering metropolis, however, offers no solace; the sight of Clayton’s betrothed in his arms shatters her hope, prompting Peggy to abandon the city after a week of desperate pawnings. In her absence, a conniving associate of Clayton usurps the camp's title, threatening the livelihood of the jacks. When Clayton, now awakened to his true feelings, joins the associate in a frantic search for Peggy, hostile workers barricade them in a cabin and plant dynamite beneath its floorboards. Peggy returns just in time, quelling the riot, defusing the explosives, and restoring order. In the aftermath, Clayton rectifies the ownership dispute and, with unguarded sincerity, confesses his love for the indomitable Peggy, sealing their union amidst the echoing sighs of the forest.
Synopsis
Peggy Winston, the boss of a lumber camp left to her by her father, is loved by all the "jacks" of the camp. When Clayton Hargis, the son of a millionaire ship builder visits to contract for the camp's entire output, Peggy, deeply affected by him, rescues him when he falls into dangerous waters, but Clayton remains ignorant of her affection. Peggy accepts the invitation of Clayton's sister to join them in the city, and after trading her corduroys and spiked shoes for silks, blossoms into a beautiful woman. Heartbroken when she sees Clayton's fiancée embrace him, Peggy leaves and lives a week in the city after pawning her clothes. In Peggy's absence, the title to the camp is taken over by a friend of Clayton's. The friend and Clayton, who now realizes that he loves Peggy, search for her at the camp. After the hostile lumberjacks lock them in a cabin and plant dynamite underneath it, Peggy arrives, quells the riot, and saves them. Clayton straightens out the title of the camp, and confesses his love for Peggy.
Review Excerpt
"h2{color:#C2410C;margin-top:30px;}h3{color:#EAB308;margin-top:20px;}a{color:#0E7490;text-decoration:none;}a:hover{text-decoration:underline;}Plot Reimagined Through a Critical LensIn the austere wilderness of a 1920s lumber camp, Peggy Winston emerges as an unexpected matriarch, wielding authority with a blend of iron resolve and maternal warmth. Her dominion, inherited from a patriarch whose legacy is etched into the very timber she harvests, is not merely a business but a living organism susta..."
