The Miner's Bride

Anna Simm's parents want her to marry Chad Holmes, but she dislikes him so much that she is willing to leave town to avoid the union. She tries to convince her parents, but they insist that her wedding to Chad will increase both families' wealth and prominence in Philadelphia.

Anna is very upset, so she tells her friend Jane what happened, and Jane suggests that they both try to find a man who lives in the West. That way, they can move together. Anna agrees, desperate to find a way to get out of marrying Chad. After finding a potential man, Anna writes to Tom Wallace, a miner who lives in Panamint City, California.

Tom is thrilled to have a woman respond to him. For all his life, he has been shunned by girls and women because of the large birthmark covering half of his face. But he's afraid she'll leave him the moment she sees him. To get the woman's attention, he returns her letter and encloses a tintype of his cousin, Dan Reeves, who doesn't feel it's a very good idea but agrees.

When Anna sees the tintype, she's pleasantly surprised at how attractive Tom is. After a short correspondence, Tom asks Anna to marry him in Panamint City. Agreeing, Anna asks if she can bring her friend to find a mate too. Tom sends enough money for both of them to take the train to San Francisco. Upon her arrival, though, Tom is too ashamed and nervous about her reaction to tell her his real name and tells them his name is Jedediah James.

How much do a person's looks matter overall when trying to find true love? Will Chad intervene and get Anna to come back to Philadelphia and marry him? Will Tom ever tell Anna the truth or continue his web of lies? Will Anna find out about these lies on her own? Either way, will Tom's deception derail their future?