Hildegard Fell is a precocious young girl, who is good at chess and good at telling stories. She has one to tell us, as a matter of fact. It's about a crusty old man named John Anderson, who just moved into the small Massachusetts town where she lives. Her father, the minister; her pretty mother; her friend, Mrs. Whiteford, a would-be medium; and Clarence, Mrs. Whiteford's nephew, all have a part in the story, too. It seems Mr. Anderson is a recluse and rather hard-hearted. He won't allow the church to hold their annual charity bazaar in his garden. Hildegard manages to win him over. And she learns a very interesting secret.