Jack, the chairman of Mornley's town council, heads a campaign to modernize and improve the town. He is opposed by a civic group headed by pretty schoolteacher Mary Clarke. Jack joins the group incognito, where he promptly falls in love with Mary. IN the town live Albert and Victoria Potts, a pair of genteel-appearing recluses who are actually murderers who prey on travelling salesmen. Fearing that Jack means to destroy the town with "improvements," they plot to murder him.