Protagonist Walter Brickman strains against the protective bounds set by his daughter Barbara, who has cared for him and monitored his obsessive tendencies since his suicide attempt following the death of his wife. He works on his garden relentlessly, going through the motions of family life whilst confiding in a secret friend, finally triumphing as he escapes his daughter’s admonition and makes it to the fair to see his tomatoes have won first prize.