Dick Milton , age 12, has come with his mother and young brothers and sisters to Jefferson, a small New England town, while Mr. Milton is in South America. Dick's grandfather, Roger Devons, had been a much beloved and respected man in the community. But a feeling of antipathy among the neighbors, is evident from the start. At a loss to explain it, Dick talks to a new friend, Jerry Stewart, who has just returned to Jefferson from navy duty and who promises to help.