Laurie Evans was in the WACs during the war and got her college degree on the GI bill. Now, with a teaching certificate in hand, Laurie yearns for a quiet, small-town life, although she is determined never to get married. When her new neighbor, and fellow teacher, Neil Winston, puts out a few feelers, Laurie tries to discourage him. But when the town's art committee cancels a famous Russian pianist's concert because of rumors that he is a Communist, Laurie is incensed and says so publicly, which leads to accusations that she's a Communist sympathizer. Neil becomes her staunch ally during the resulting witch-hunt, which divides the town and escalates into violence.