DANCING IN THE RING is the story of the tumultuous marriage of Catherine McIntosh and Robert Sage. Propelled by the optimism of the 1920s, they both dream of ridding the city of poverty and festering crime. Romance blossoms, and then turns serious. Catherine easily passes the Bar exam – Bob fails his first attempt. Catherine lands a position as a law clerk for the Prosecutor’s Office. Bob retakes the Bar exam for a third time and finally passes. The law firm of Sage & Sage takes off. While passion between them lessens, the couple now enjoys success. Weekend nights are wiled away in speakeasies. One night, during a drunken argument, Bob slaps Catherine and she begins to regret ever marrying him. A trip to Bob’s hometown of Wallace, Idaho helps improve their relationship. Still, once home, Nana’s premonition of a dark time proves true: Bob’s boxing career comes to an abrupt halt after Wall Street crashes. Marital issues surmount and the couple almost breaks up. Bob wins a judgeship in 1937 and takes an unforgettable trip west with his nephew. Not long after their return, Catherine falls asleep holding a lit cigarette and suffers third degree burns over her entire body. She lives for two weeks before perishing from her burns. Bob is beside himself with grief. As a judge, Bob manages to raise enough money to buy a city lot he hopes to turn into a sports complex. After being swindled out of the money, he shoots his three corrupt business partners before turning the gun on himself.