one day, an elegant woman (alden) stumbles into the logging camp. the lumberjacks and nettles help her, and she invites briar rose to visit her in new york someday. years later, nettles goes away to boarding school in new york. when taunted by her fellow students, nettles leaves the school to stay with the woman she had met previously. austin comes to new york to rescue nettles, and, reunited, they discover that their guardian/ward relationship has evolved into one of true love and they marry.