Julia’s mother remembers Hugh McGuire, her daughter’s first love. Julia was twenty years old when they met, and he was the cousin of a neighbor and a young lawyer. Unlike the other men in their small Missouri town, he was extremely charming and had a special air about him. Julia was beautiful herself and not one to care about status or wealth, but her mother was certain that Julia fell in love with Hugh at first sight. While staying with his cousins, Hugh would make up excuses to visit Julia and invite her to weekly walks. As his reputation as a lawyer grew, he stayed more in the city but started sending her daily notes. Julia’s mother saw how much the notes meant to her daughter, who always waited for them with great anticipation. The notes and letters dwindled as the months went by, and Hugh was visiting less and less. As Christmas approached, Julia anxiously says that Hugh would come to spend the holiday with them. When he does not arrive by late afternoon of Christmas Eve, Julia falls into low spirits and her parents can only sadly watch. To everyone’s surprise, he knocks on their door that night and surprises them with gifts. Following Christmas, Hugh rarely writes or visits. Julia’s parents sadly watch as she gets dressed every weekend, waiting for him in case he comes to visit. They go for a vacation in April, and Julia refuses to come per usual. When they return, Julia’s appearance is disheveled, and she shouts that he came back and was there for the afternoon and then breaks into painful screaming. For months, Julia falls into bouts of sickness and severe emotional disturbance. In her rare moments of clarity, she tells her mother about what happened that afternoon, saying that Hugh violently slept with her and told her he was going away for work and may not see her again. Although she stabilizes and starts to recover her old state, Julia is never the same. During a trip to St. Louis, Julia’s mother sees Hugh with a group of men a restaurant. Julia sees Hugh’s group and curiously wonders who they are.