Set in the post-Civil War South, the story revolves around the complex and tense relationship between two families, the McEvoys and the Greggs, in a mill town in South Carolina. The narrative focuses on the life of Robert McEvoy, the gardener's son, who becomes embroiled in a conflict with the powerful Gregg family, particularly with James Gregg, the mill owner's son. As tensions rise, themes of class struggle, revenge, and the impact of industrialization on traditional ways of life are explored, leading to a dramatic and tragic confrontation that underscores the deep-seated social and personal conflicts of the era.