In a small town in North Carolina, lives Ruby, an orphan girl raised by wealthy local gentry. The young girl has a wild character and a boundless passion for Boake Tackman, owner of a family estate. Back from a long journey, Boake is now determined to drain the salt marshes that have invaded his land. For a long time, his family had abandoned the estate, which was gradually transformed into swamps following a great flood. Despite his attraction, the young man abandons Ruby to marry Tracy, a girl from a good family whose father wants to finance the project to clean up the marshes. Out of spite, Ruby marries wealthy industrialist Jim Gentry, whose wife has just died of a long illness. During a party, Boake and Ruby meet and dance together. Jim, jealous, provokes a fight. The next day, Ruby apologizes to her husband, but he dies in an accident while out on the water. The whole town accuses Ruby of murder and persecutes her: stones thrown at her door, anonymous phone calls... Now at the head of her husband's fortune, Ruby decides to take revenge on the community that has always rejected her by ruining all of her husband's numerous debtors. Boake was also in debt to Jim, Ruby goes to him and offers to pay off the debt. But he rejects her again. She then decides to drown Boake's reclaimed land in the swamp, which now belongs to her, thus ruining all the young man's dreams. During a final confrontation in the swamp, Boake wants to strangle Ruby but their desire resurfaces and they end up confessing their passion. Ruby's brother, a fanatical madman accustomed to casting aspersions on his sister, shoots them and kills Boake before being shot by his sister.