A newly unemployed newspaper reporter who meets heiress Ellie Andrews on a bus. Initially annoyed by her lack of practical skills, he helps her after a theft and stays in Jacksonville to assist her. He pretends to be her husband to evade her father's detectives, scares off a rival bounty hunter, and eventually falls in love with her. He later seeks only expense reimbursement instead of a reward, earning the respect of her father and winning her hand.
Shapeley acts as a bounty hunter rival, competing with Peter to capture Ellie for financial gain.
Peter and Ellie form a transactional alliance where Peter provides travel assistance in return for journalistic exclusivity.
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