It's nearing the end of summer 1933 and with it comes the annual Farewell to Summer Dance. The kids are planning on having a good time, with a friendly wager struck between partners Hub/Alice and Fat/Maisey on which couple will win the junior ballroom dance contest. Ollie is hoping to take Grace to the dance. Afraid that she still thinks of him only as a friend, Ollie enlists Del as his mentor in wooing Grace. Del ghost writes some romantic letters for Ollie to Grace, which she loves. Things are not going as well for Bob. Toppy, with Doris, has returned to New Bedford to ask Bob for a divorce. She still loves Bob but does not want to take second place in his life to the mine. Things at the mine are in dire straits as the bank will soon foreclose on its loan and stop credit if the mine's new vein does not produce within two weeks. Bob pressures the mine workers into drilling and blasting quicker into the vein, this against the advice of the mine's explosives man, Gene MacFarlane, Alice's father. Gene officially voices his opposition to Bob's directive. Because of the aggressive blasting and poor materials, a serious accident does occur and Gene looks to be permanently blinded. Bob thinks it a good idea for the family to lay low because of the public outcry regarding the accident, but May refuses to hide which she feels would admit guilt. The entire Bailey clan does end up going to the dance, but their presence places a noticeable tension on the festivities, especially between the MacFarlane's and Bailey's. But Bob has ulterior motives in attending the dance, that reason he tells only to Grace before he executes his plan.
—Huggo