Tornado!

A massive storm system bears down on Odyssey after destroying homes in the western part of the county. From his radio studio, Cryin’ Bryan Dern relays reports of thunderstorms, hail, and tornadoes moving through Connellsville. Whit is away at a board meeting in Chicago, so Connie takes responsibility for Whit’s End. She sends David and Mandy Straussberg home, clears the building, and closes its shutters before the weather arrives.

At the Straussberg home, Stephen and David secure outdoor belongings and help an elderly neighbor prepare. Mandy wants to join them but is told that she is too little for the heavy work. Nearby, Bart Rathbone turns the emergency into a business opportunity. He advertises a special tornado sale at the Electric Palace, then charges frightened customers extravagant prices for ordinary flashlights, batteries, and generators. Even after a tornado strikes Connellsville and Odyssey’s warning becomes more urgent, Bart refuses to close the store or protect his house. He assumes Odyssey will not really be hit and raises his prices again.

As the sky darkens, the Straussbergs shelter in their basement. Stephen tries to reassure David and Rachel, while little Mandy falls asleep beside her doll Polly. The tornado roars over them, but when the family emerges, their house has suffered only cracked windows and missing roof tiles. A birch tree carried from another area has narrowly missed their home and crashed through the Rathbones’ house instead. The Electric Palace has also been badly damaged.

Bart, Doris, and Rodney discover that their home cannot be occupied. Bart expects his excellent insurance to cover the loss, only to learn that Doris’s brother has excluded tornado damage. The family goes to the emergency shelter at Odyssey High School, where Bart complains about his bad fortune. A customer recognizes him as the businessman who charged thirty-five dollars for a five-dollar flashlight. Angry victims accuse him of profiting from their fear and force the Rathbones out, leaving them with nowhere to stay but their damaged store.

Mandy hears that no one wants to help the Rathbones. She knows Bart is grouchy, but she also believes Jesus wants her to help even people she does not like. Since she cannot remove the fallen tree or build them a new house, she draws a picture of the Rathbone family smiling in their future home. Then she decides to give them something more.

With Rachel waiting outside, Mandy enters Jack Allen’s antique gallery and offers to sell him Polly, her favorite doll. Jack makes certain she understands that selling Polly means leaving her behind. Mandy explains that she wants the money for Bart because his family has no home and no one else will help them. Jack warns that one doll cannot pay for a house, but Mandy answers that a little money is better than none. After speaking with Rachel, Jack buys Polly for fifty dollars.

At the battered Electric Palace, Mandy gives Bart her cheerful picture and the money from her doll. Bart is stunned. No one has ever made such a sacrifice for him, and his eyes fill with tears as he thanks her. Rachel assures Mandy that he is happy and tells her how proud she is.

Mandy’s compassion also moves Jack. Without identifying her, he announces that a little girl has sold her favorite doll to help a family many people consider undeserving. Her example challenges other citizens to set aside their anger and show compassion. Donations and volunteers soon gather around the Rathbones. Jack brings them one thousand dollars for immediate necessities and explains that people throughout Odyssey have offered to repair the house themselves.

Bart, Doris, and Rodney can hardly believe that people who know exactly who they are have chosen to help anyway. Jack tells them to receive the gift simply as kindness from a community that cares. The generosity leaves even Bart with nothing to say.

Soon afterward, a large package addressed to Mandy arrives at the Straussberg home. Inside is Polly, cleaned and restored, with no card or return address. Her parents decide not to solve the mystery and simply enjoy the kindness behind it. Then Doris notices a charge from Jack’s antique gallery on Bart’s credit-card statement. Bart quickly calls it a mistake, but his embarrassed excuse strongly suggests that he has quietly bought Polly and sent her home to Mandy.