Fred Allerton and Alice Harrington are living in hard times. The father of their friend, Dot, hasn't had work for almost three years and can't pay the mortgage on his house. The bank says it will take the house away from him. Then Fred and Alice meet Chet, a teenager who lives as a hobo on the trains. Chet's father made him move out of the house because they couldn't afford to feed him. Every day Chet tries to find odd jobs to do in exchange for food. When the new mayor of Minneapolis says hobos need to be driven out of town and Dot learns that within a couple of weeks her family will lose its home, Fred and Alice know they have to do something for their friends. But what?