The Mating of Millie

Millie McGonigle is riding a bus home from work when the frustrated driver, Doug Andrews, stops the vehicle and quits his job. Impressed by his independence, she hands him her business card, hinting at potential interest. This chance encounter sets the stage for their later collaboration.

Next day, Millie learns that Tommy Bassett, a boy she knows and likes, has lost his mother in a traffic accident. With his father already killed in World War II, Tommy is sent to a foundling home.

Moved by his plight, Millie decides she wants to adopt him. She learns from Ralph Galloway, the head of the orphan's home, that she must be married to qualify for adoption.

Desperate to meet the requirement, Millie fabricates a fiancé who is conveniently away in Alaska. Ralph insists on interviewing the phantom suitor within 60 days, setting a ticking clock on her scheme.

Doug shows up at the department store seeking a job, and Millie sees him as ideal husband material for her ruse. They agree to go on a date, during which Doug senses something is off and persuades her to confess the truth.

Doug's lessons on etiquette and social behavior prove effective, and both Ralph Galloway and Phil Gowan begin to fall for Millie. Meanwhile, Millie realizes her own heart belongs to Doug.

Doug learns that his book will be published and quits his job at the department store. He resolves to move to New York to work with the publisher.

A couple expresses interest in adopting Tommy, heightening the urgency of Millie's situation. Ralph informs her that the 60-day window is nearly up and warns that marriage may be the only viable route.

Ralph suggests she marry someone else to fulfill the rule, and Millie, torn between options, accepts Phil Gowan's proposal. This choice shows how far she is willing to go to secure Tommy's future.

On the eve of the wedding, Millie cannot go through with the marriage and decides to chase after Doug. She races to find him so she can salvage her plans for Tommy.

Millie goes to see Tommy, only to be informed by Ralph that the boy had been taken an hour earlier. The news deepens her heartbreak and pushes her toward Doug.

Millie returns to her lonely apartment and finds Doug waiting there. They share a kiss as Millie confesses her love for him.

Doug remains composed as Millie confesses her love. When she wipes the lipstick from her face, she discovers Tommy sleeping on her bed, and Doug smiles behind her.