Back in 1880 in a small country church in Indiana, a young girl named Eva White changes her mind about marriage to Andy Campbell, a man she has known all her life. She runs away leaving Andy waiting at the altar. She is determined to be a teacher instead. Along the way when her horse runs away, she is rescued by a charming Frenchman, Charles Guy. When she learns that Guy has a packet steamer waiting in a nearby town, Eva books passage on the boat. But her rejected groom follows her and books passage as well. On the speedy trip to New Orleans, Andy is accidently burned. He convinces Eva to marry him because she feels guilty for his accident. He also blackmails her by telling her he will have Guy arrested for kidnaping her and taking money her parents left in her room. Andy himself took the money. The scalawag steamboat captain, Jean Baptiste, performs the marriage even though he has designs on Eva himself. When the steamboat docks in New Orleans, Andy drowns as the cargo is being unloaded. It takes a while for his body to be recovered. By the time it is, Eva's sister and Andy's brother who have married have already left for the small town where Eva is to find her teaching job. Charles Guy, who is still in New Orleans, comforts her. But Jean is watching outside. His jealousy of Charles and the fact that Charles discovered Jean has stolen some of Floyd Campbell's merchandise, seal Charles' fate. He and the unconscious Charles sail out on the Gulf where Jean scuttles the ship and leaves it to sink with Charles aboard. When Charles doesn't return, Eva fears he is faithless and boards the train to Gueydan intending to begin her teaching career. She does this with fair success until Jean comes to town. He spreads rumors about her scandalous past and persuades the school board to terminate her contract. She finds another post at a small one-room school on Bouquet Plantation ten miles farther southwest. Eva has always thought Guy was Charles' real surname and has no idea this is his family's home or that her pupils are his younger brothers and sisters. Once Charles recovers from injuries caused by Jean, he returns home and Eva learns his true identity. In time, will Charles and Eva discover love requires action? For true love is a verb.