Not Worth The Lead is a western set in 1880 about Edward Stewart Tolbert, who lives with his widowed mother in Barraton, Colorado. Thirty miles from Leadville, where silver has been found. His friend, Piney Sullivan, has begged him for months to go to Leadville with him to find their share of silver. Ed is a pianist and makes good money playing at functions in Barraton. Ed's mother, Julia, tells him that she's marrying Miles Ferris, who owns the hardware store and is the worst drunk in town.
Things go from bad to worse after the wedding, and Julia tells Ed to leave town. He ends up in Leadville and finds a job playing piano in a saloon which he buys. He becomes so successful in concerts that he buys a boarding house and the music hall. Piney Sullivan begs Ed to go in with him in the mine, but Ed always refuses. He wants to make enough money to buy Ferris' hardware store or burn it down. Ed returns to Barraton and see how bad the homeplace looks and learns that his mother is having to work because Ferris has spent all of their money. The store is closed and Ed buys the foreclosed store in secret. Durng this time, Ed's life has been threatened several times and he's had to defend himself in two fights. He and Piney return to Barraton. Ed confiences Julia to return to Leadville with him and take care of the music hall and arrange concerts for him. Julia agrees to go. They're just about ready to leave the house when Ferris arrives. Piney screams for Ferris to kill Ed. Ferris shoots Ed in the arm. Julia kills Ferris. Ed kills Piney. Before Piney dies, he confesses that he's the one who'd tried killing Ed at least three times.