Carefree vagabond Johnny Rutledge (William Holden) is stuck in a small town when his medicine show employer and friend Professor Mordecai Ford (Charles Winninger) is put in jail. He befriends a young girl named May Chalotte (Mary Jane Saunders). She and her brothers January (Gary Gray (actor)), February (Billy Gray (actor)) and twins March (Warren Farlow) and April (Wayne A. Farlow) are orphans. However, fearful of being separated, they have not told anybody. Johnny finds himself being "adopted" as their uncle. Johnny starts working hard to support his new family, working on a farm during the week and singing and waiting tables on Sunday in a restaurant owned by Jericho Schlosser (Sig Ruman).