At a tense family dinner, Rosie, an adopted daughter from a humble background, is harshly told to leave by Uncle Ted, who mocks her as unworthy and a jinx. The conflict escalates as Rosie’s brother Yale defends her, criticizing Ted’s arrogance and cruelty. Ted retaliates by belittling Rosie’s disability and past sacrifices, revealing a bitter rivalry over the family headship, which Ted claims was handed to him by their father. Their confrontation is abruptly interrupted as the grandfather warns them to stop fighting before important guests arrive, but the family’s fractures deepen when Yale challenges Ted to a public bet, raising the stakes even higher.