Wise Girl

Susan Fletcher and her millionaire father, Simon, want to care for their late sister's two daughters. The will places custody with John O'Halloran unless he can be shown unemployed. Realizing the legal barrier, Susan decides to investigate John’s finances and situation to test the odds.

She disguises herself as an impoverished actress and moves into the family's orbit to gather information. She persuades John's landlord to let her stay in the house, and she becomes acquainted with John, the two girls, and their friends. Her undercover arrangement marks the beginning of a complicated relationship that fuels the plot.

Susan and John grow closer as they share meals and conversations. But every act of help she offers seems to derail John's employment, creating tension with the custody stakes. Their sudden romance adds a personal twist to the looming legal battle.

Simon's delight at the romance spurs him to push the custody case forward. He has the authorities take the two girls for a formal custody hearing. The move intensifies the stakes and reshapes the family dynamics.

John discovers Susan's true identity and suspects she is orchestrating a plot against him. The trust between them fractures as the truth sinks in. He begins to see the personal risk behind the arrangement.

With John out of work, the two girls are placed with the Fletcher family. The situation leaves the children unsettled and longing for John’s presence. This arrangement becomes the practical basis for Susan’s plan to keep the girls nearby so John has time to paint.

Seeing the girls unhappy away from John, Susan tells them they can go home. She hopes to ease the burden by keeping them with her longer; the girls weigh their loyalties as they watch John suffer. Eventually they decide to stay, sensing that the plan might actually help him focus on his art.

Susan urges John to enter a high-stakes painting contest with a large prize. He initially refuses, preferring independence over the trap she seems to be laying. The disagreement heightens the tension before the next escalation.

Susan orchestrates trumped-up charges and has John jailed, withholding food unless he paints. The pressure mounts as days pass and the needs of his art become a lifeline. The tactic forces him to confront whether art or freedom matters more.

Under the coercion, John yields and paints an unflattering caricature of Susan and her father. He expects anger or dismissal, but Susan receives it with surprising pleasure. The work becomes the unexpected catalyst for their shifting relationship.

Susan is delighted with the finished caricature and arranges to sell it for a large sum. The deal vindicates her strategy of keeping the girls close and supporting John through his art. John begins to see that she has been looking out for him all along.

John is released from jail and reconciles with Susan, recognizing her care as protection rather than betrayal. The couple acknowledge their love and decide to move forward together. The moment closes the story with a note of trust and chosen partnership.