When Letty Mason (Lillian Gish), an emotionally fragile woman from Virginia, relocates to West Texas, she finds herself unsettled by the ever-present wind and sand. Arriving at her new home at the ranch of her cousin (Edward Earle), she receives a surprisingly cold welcome from his wife (Dorothy Cumming). Soon tensions in the family and unwanted attention from a trio of suitors, including neighbor Lige Hightower (Lars Hanson), leave Letty increasingly disturbed, resulting in tragedy.