Doris Taylor, a young widow whose husband died in the war shortly after their wedding, is raising her daughter alone. Neither Doris's parents, nor the family of her late husband, nor his friend Ted Humphrey doubt who the girl's father is. But Ted, who was in love with a friend's wife long before their wedding, accidentally reveals the secret of the birth of her child. The heroes of the novel face many problems: will nine-year-old Catherine recognize her real father? Will the family, all of whose members sacredly preserve the memory of the fallen warrior, fall apart? Will Ted be able to forgive Doris for her long silence?