Karen Cummings, a grandchild of Emmett Cummings, in book one of this series, married Frank Fountain, and the newlyweds moved to southeast Texas where Frank was working in the Spindletop Oilfield. Frank died from the flu in 1921, and Karen Fountain and her three boys were left with no support. Kind friends stepped forward to help them in various ways. Mr. Cooley let them live on his deceased mother's little farm in Louisiana, rent free. Various people made their life easier. There was Mr. Mercer, Mr. Whittaker, and Mrs. Hopewell. Nat was the oldest of the boys and performed the farm duties in a manly manner. He looked upon those helping friends as angels sent their way. There was life on the farm, finishing school while living with Mrs. Hopewell after her husband died, college in east Texas, and teaching in Arkline, Louisiana where he was faced with a situation in which one of his students was being abused by her uncle. He and another bright student found a way for Janie Harrington to escape her uncle. After teaching in Arkline, Nat became enthralled with a girl he met while on his way to a new teaching job. She turned out to be the sister of his best friend in Merryville, Louisiana. While living on the farm he had considered her a little pest. Later, he and Jennifer take into their home, Janie, who arrived after her escape from the abusive uncle. Nat and Jennifer later found a mystery baby in a wrecked automobile. The mother was killed in the accident. The mystery was due to the body and wrecked car disappearing. When the sheriff's deputies later arrived at the scen of the accident the body and automobile were gone.There was no information ever forth coming . Nat and Jennifer adopted the boy, who is the main character in book four of this series.