Feeling guilty for accidentally breaking Laura's beloved china doll, Mary brings home a baby raccoon to smooth things over with her sister. Charles is hesitant to allow Laura to keep the animal, but he decides that it would be all right to make a temporary adoption – a choice that he later regrets.

While studying for a history examination in the barn one night, Mary accidentally knocks over a reading lamp. After putting out the fire, a furious Caroline yells at her daughter and forbids her to take the exam. Later, Mary takes a job at the mercantile to pay for some items damaged in the fire, then makes a decision that could further aggravate her relationship with her mother.