Mr. Trueblood is an elementary school teacher in Puget Sound and Rhoda is one of his students. Rhoda has an ailment, but at first she is able to remain in the class and join her friends to play. Soon, Rhoda is taken away to a hospital when her condition makes mobility more difficult for her. Trueblood takes his classroom to visit Rhoda, which greatly improves her mood, and shortly after, he decides he wants to care for Rhoda during the summer. Trueblood lives alone after his previous partner, Marie, left him. Despite the other faculty at the school warning him that Rhoda is likely to die while with him over the summer, he goes forward anyways. Since Rhoda doesn't have parents, the state releases her to live with him. The two spend the summer together, going to the carnival and for a short time adopting a cat, before it becomes too much on Rhoda's frail body. Soon, she has no strength to move, so Trueblood takes her from room to room, trying to comfort her and reading her favorite books to her. One day as the new school year is approaching, Trueblood wakes to find Rhoda looking into a great distance, knowing she is dead. He calls for them to come get her, saying that he will be away while they collect her. Trueblood returns to classes, trying to regain normalcy, and crosses Rhoda's name out on the roster with the new student that takes her place.