Summaries

Synopsis

In the town of Bradford, Tom Redding, upon the death of his supposedly well-to-do father, finds he has inherited several debts and a box of apparently worthless securities and documents. He and his mother are forced to move to an obscure side street, and Tom takes a menial position at a factory. Tom discovers that his old friends view him differently now that he lives in the slums.The Grimleys, father and son, humiliate him, while Olivia Hornby, his sweetheart, has broken off their relationship. Only Mary Thorne remains supportive of Tom. One night, Tom reads about an oil find in Oklahoma, and remembers that his father held a lease in a territory near there. So he quits his job and heads west, to seek his fortune. Tom endures months of discouragement. But then he finally strikes oil, and makes a fortune. He meets an old college friend, Billy Andrews, who comes up with an idea. He suggests that Tom return home, pretending to be a failure, and see who his real friends and enemies are. The idea appeals to Tom, so he returns to Bradford, pretending to be broke. He finds that the townspeople laugh at him, but Mary has remained loyal, and even offers him a loan. The local newspaper prints an article about "the oil king back in the factory." Tom aches for revenge, so he writes Billy giving him authority to come to Bradford as representative of a syndicate, and orders him to buy up everything in town. Billy arrives, and claims his organization is headed by a Mr. Keane. He quickly buys control of the bank formerly owned by the Grimleys. He then buys out the newspaper. The whole town goes into a frenzy over this "millionaire." Then, it is announced that Mr. Keane himself will be coming to town. All the snobs and money hungry townspeople vie with each other in planning entertainment for him. He is to be met by a reception committee, given a luncheon at the hotel, and dinner at the country club. In addition, Olivia Hornby plans a dance. On the big day, the train pulls into Bradford. From the platform, Billy introduces Mr. Keane. The crowd gasps when they see it is Tom. Mary and Tom's mother are completely bewildered, while Tom rides about town in his glory, reveling in the humiliation he has caused for his enemies. All the planned activities are still on, and the townspeople are panicking about what will happen at the events. But after a day, Tom slowly realizes that he has become what his enemies were - and how they used their positions to lord over him. He then decides the best joke of all would be to give the townspeople a surprise party. At the country club, apprehension runs high. The townspeople fear that Tom will really lay into them. To their amazement, Tom tells them he intends to use his money to build up the town, and that no one will lose their business. The next evening, at a dinner with his friends and former enemies, Tom announces his engagement to Mary.