Mr. Mark Fortune spends all his time with his kindred spirit, ten-year-old granddaughter Mary Fortune. Mary bears his exact resemblance, his independent and fiery spirit, and his intelligence. He cares little for her mother or his six other grandchildren, and he despises his son-in-law Pitts. Pitts beats his children regularly, including Mary, and Mr. Fortune considers Mary's deference to him her one great flaw. When he asks, she refuses to admit she is ever beaten.

Pitts has no way with money so Mr. Fortune allows the family to live off his land, but habitually sells off lots to remind them who's in charge.  Him and Mary have spent all their mornings in the past week watching a crew of bulldozers tear what once was one of Mr. Fortune's cow pastures into the foundations of a new fishing club by the lakeside. When he mentions to Mary that he's planning to sell off the lawn next, she objects, saying that's where she and her siblings play and where her father grazes calves, and they won't be able to see the woods across the way. Their first major disagreement escalates into a screaming match, and Mary storms off home. When the news is broken to the family they all think it's Mary's fault, and she is beaten for it.

Mary grows more and more wary of the impending deal. Mr. Fortune stares at the road and woods but fails to see where her insistence comes from. He takes personal offense to her cool repugnance, having so long been her compadre. The next time they go out together he asks her forcefully if she's a Fortune or a Pitts, and she replies with equal force that she's both. They drive to Tilman's, the man who'll be buying the lot, and just as they sign the deed and shake hands Mary appears in the door, lobbing bottles and everything within her reach at the two of them. Mr. Fortune throws her into the car and drives home in fury, resolved to beat her just as her father does. But before he gets his belt off she is clawing at him all over, biting and punching until he begs for mercy. When she relents, he grabs her by the throat and brings her head down on a rock. Falling on his back, he feels his heart swelling and pulling him through the woods to the lake, surrounded by bulldozers chomping down clay.