Melva and her family move from Kansas to western Colorado when she is nine. At seven she had gone forward during a tent revival for salvation but doesn’t feel saved later, listening to a radio preacher. She lives by good works, obedient to parents and studying hard in school. Because the family is poor, she works for room and board in high school and earns a scholarship to college where she tries smoking but doesn’t drink. She drops out after the first year, goes home and works as a secretary. She begins dating Wayne, who goes to church with her and gets saved. The first part ends as he walks away when she refuses to marry him.