Plain Jane: Young John Adams is working his way through college and lives in a boarding house where Jane, a hardworking and unassuming maid, falls deeply in love with him. John, however, is initially oblivious to Jane's feelings. He is instead infatuated with Ethelda Rathbone, a socially prominent college girl. John wishes to attend a high-society ball where Ethelda will be present, but he lacks the means or social standing to fit in. As the story progresses, the "plain" Jane proves her worth and devotion, eventually winning John's heart over the more superficial Ethelda.