Sarah Belle Carleton is born as the child to a doctor in Mississippi. Neither of her parents want her, so she grows up with a lot of freedom because they do not pay attention to her. Her family moves from Mississippi when Sarah Belle is fourteen, when General Grant is reported to be moving towards the state. They relocate to New Orleans, where her father struggles to find patients, so they are very poor. Sarah Belle's parents send her to a convent, where God becomes her dearest friend. Every evening, God would enter her room and they would talk until God would tenderly carry her to bed. When Sarah Belle is sixteen, she is forced to leave the convent and return home, where she does all of the housework. After her chores, she and God would take long walks together, and He was her only friend. One day, the Governor comes to be seen by Sarah Belle's father. He is a reconstructionist sent from New Jersey, and he had a bad reputation. He went to see Dr. Carleton because he treats the Governor civilly. One day, the governor sees Sarah Belle for the first time and finds her beautiful. He kisses her hand before he leaves. Sarah Belle is charmed, and she confided in God about her new friend that evening. God shares her delight and hopes she will find a new friend in the Governor. The next evening, the Governor comes again and offers Sarah Belle a job doing some copy-work for him. He says one of his personal secretaries will come to get her work. That Friday afternoon, Sarah Belle is having a conversation with God when there is a knock at the door. She has a sense of fear and opens the door to see a young man, who is the Governor's secretary. She has no reason to be scared, but she jumps back and gasps. The man's voice sounds deep and black, and after he gets the papers Sarah has worked on for the Governor, he grabs Sarah Belle's shoulders and stares into her face. He turns and leaves the house. Sarah Belle is frightened, and when she returns to her room God is there. He asks her what is wrong, but she cannot tell Him and just cries into His lap. In the days that follow, Sarah Belle is unhappy and God is strangely quiet. Then, the Governor comes to visit again. He can tell something is wrong, and he asks to speak to Sarah Belle alone. She tells him what happened, and he says that it is okay and she does not need to see the young man again if she does not want to. Sarah Belle is cheered for two days, until Mr. Edward Davenport, the young man secretary to the Governor, comes to call on the Carletons. Sarah Belle is called downstairs by her mother, and God is nowhere to be found. Mrs. Carleton forces a terrified Sarah Belle into the parlor, where Mr. Davenport tells her he is going to marry her. Sarah Belle whispers "no," and the young man leaves and says he will return another time. Sarah Belle is very troubled and God does not come that night. God had not been near her for a full day, and Sarah Belle goes to visit the Governor. She tells him that his secretary whom she hates is going to marry her. The governor tells her that she does not have to marry the secretary and that she should refuse him, and there is nothing he can do. Soon, Mr. Davenport calls on the Carletons again. Sarah Belle is in her room busy talking with God. There is a knock at the door, and God vanishes with a sad look in his eyes. Sarah Belle tries to hide under her bed, but her mother comes in and brings her down to the parlor. In the parlor, Sarah Belle is alone with Mr. Davenport. She sees a black shadow behind him, and he puts a hand on her arm. He tells her that they will be married the next Wednesday. The black shadow leaves Mr. Davenport's shoulder and filters into his eyes, then settles over Sarah Belle and blots out everything she knows. Sarah Belle whispers "yes" as she faints. Sarah Belle is sick with a fever for three weeks. When she is strong enough, the wedding is arranged again. God had not been near Sarah Belle since she had been ill, but the night before the wedding, He appeared and spoke to her in a low excited manner. Sarah Belle listens and then nods her head. She runs through the streets until she gets to the Governor's house. She begs the Governor to take her away because the secretary is going to marry her and she hates him. She falls to the ground at the Governor's feet. He carries her to his room, and wonders how people can be so blind because marrying the young secretary will kill the child. When Sarah Belle awakes, she is in the Governor's arms with her head against his chest. The Governor says that she cannot go away with him, because he is a bad man and it would not help her. The only thing he can do for her is be her friend. Sarah Belle barely listens and does not notice that a black figure falls over her again and God is gone. She falls asleep. The Governor picks Sarah Belle up and brings her back home in a carriage. He feels miserable and helpless. The next day, Sarah Belle is married. She appears for breakfast in the morning as though nothing had happened. Sarah Belle knows nothing about it when she is married, and a great black figure clutches her by the shoulders and turns her this way and that. God is gone, and he only comes to Sarah Belle for a moment that night, when he appears for a flash and is then gone. He never comes back to her after that, and she waits without any real hope.