Colleen

Cedric Ames, a distracted president, impulsively hires an ambitious assistant named Joe Cork. Joe immediately sees Cedric as an easy mark and begins to influence the business affairs around him. This marks the start of a chain of schemes driven by Joe's pushy influence.

During a tour of a candy company Cedric owns, he meets Minnie Hawkins, a dress-wearing chocolate dipper with a sharp eye for opportunity. Minnie captures Cedric's interest and becomes central to his impulsive decisions. The encounter sets up the unlikely partnership that follows.

Influenced by Joe Cork, Cedric buys a dress shop for Minnie. The purchase is framed as a generous gesture, but it also reveals Cedric's susceptibility to grand, impractical ideas. Minnie begins to run the shop, while others react to this unexpected acquisition.

Donald tries to fix things by examining the dress shop's books. He sees signs of potential trouble and tries to understand how the shop fits into Cedric's unpredictable plans. His examination foreshadows conflicts to come.

Colleen Reilly, the bookkeeper, resents Donald's plan to close the shop. Her stance positions her as a key ally in keeping the business afloat. Her perspective becomes crucial as publicity and romance swirl around the shop.

Newspaper headlines proclaim the odd purchase: a businessman buys a dress shop for a chocolate dipper. The publicity draws curious customers into the shop, giving it a surprising lift. Public attention changes the shop's fortunes rapidly.

Colleen stages a fashion show to capitalize on the publicity. The event attracts many customers and makes the shop profitable for the first time. The success convinces Donald to keep the shop open despite earlier plans.

Donald asks Colleen to dinner to discuss the shop's future. She agrees, then reveals—by coincidence—that she is engaged to Joe Cork. The revelation complicates relationships and deepens the love triangle at the heart of the story.

Meanwhile, Joe begins to see Minnie in a romantic light and the two concoct a plan: Cedric should adopt Minnie, and Joe would marry her. The scheme sets in motion further family and legal entanglements.

News of the plan reaches gossip columns, causing a scandal in Cedric's circle. Cedric's wife Alicia is alarmed, and she pressures Donald to close the shop. The publicity-driven turmoil begins to threaten the business again.

Minnie and Joe are fired as the fallout from the scheming escalates. Donald remains entangled with Colleen, while Minnie and Joe confront an uncertain future. The emotional stakes rise as loyalty and romance collide with business policy.

In retaliation, Minnie sues Cedric for five million for breaking his promise to adopt her, and Joe sues Donald for five million for stealing Colleen. Both lawsuits end with settlements of twenty-five thousand dollars. The disputes leave financial damage but little lasting resolution.

Colleen is fired by mistake and given a ten thousand dollar payout to drop her claims. Brokenhearted, she accepts an offer to open a dress shop on an ocean liner. Her move signals a fresh start away from the current chaos.

Donald calls Colleen to marry him, but she initially rebuffs him. Fate brings them back together when they discover they are aboard the same ocean liner as Cedric and his wife. The two reconcile and become engaged, ending the central arc with a hopeful union.