 Pop, the town drunk, nearing death, asks Lucas to use a ruse to gain his long-estranged son s respect and a visit to him before he dies. Lucas agrees, and soon Pop s son, Philip, a Boston attorney, arrives in Northfork. However, their time together is all too short, for Pop dies. Philip is angered by Pop s ruse, and by the discovery that Pop has left him no material legacy. Philip takes legal action against local folk who had upset Pop before his death, charging them in his father s death. The ensuing conflict becomes a means for Luke to help Philip learn about his father, and thereby gain an unexpected legacy.