A woman named Elsie lies in bed recovering from her second stroke, listening to her cousin Mildred and neighbor Mrs. Wylie speak about her impressive endurance. She herself is exhausted, doesn’t want to speak, and is quietly waiting for the inevitable third stroke to deal its fatal blow. Her son Elmer often comes to visit, but she wishes he wouldn’t so that they could maintain a semblance of the close relationship they had before her illness. Some time later, Elsie travels through Iowa to visit her old friend Laura and hometown, even with the risks that the stress may have for her health. She’s excited to experience the nostalgia of the old town after eleven years without a visit, but when she gets there, much of the landscape and people have changed. Even some of her closest friends are gone. In the middle of the night she gets up to walk around, but the dream of her nostalgia dissipates, and she can’t wait to get back home to Elmer.  At her home train station, Elsie meets Elmer and Dr. Cooper, who drives them both home. Her son tells her that Mrs. Wylie borrowed the red shawl again, but she can’t find it in herself to mind. Later, the doctor visits again and cautions her to be careful with her health. As Elsie sits on the porch and watches him make calls to other houses, she imagines her future after a third stroke, unable to fight for her life any longer.