A man reflects on life during the Great Depression, remembering Bill and Ellie Martin, a couple from his hometown in New England. Bill was a respected and highly sought after carpenter, who learned everything he knew from Charlie, his father-in-law. Charlie had retired after losing his eyesight and was living with them. When the Depression strikes, it gets harder and harder to find carpentry work. Ellie grows a garden, and Bill spends his time fishing. Between the fish, the food from the garden, and anything they are able to hunt or gather, the family eats pretty well, but they still have to pay for things like electricity and heating. Charlie takes out all his savings to give to his daughter and son-in-law, saying that they should shoot him when the money runs out. Bill puts the money back in the bank in case anything should happen to him and Ellie, but they slowly use up the money. A few carpentry jobs here and there, as well as Ellie's work as a housekeeper, help them hold out for a while, but eventually, they run out of money. Meanwhile, the man remembering the story of Bill and Ellie was just a boy during the Depression. He was lucky enough to get a job working nights in a restaurant in the nearby city. One night at work, he sees Bill and Ellie's car outside. He wants to go into the street because it has been a long time since he has been back to his hometown, but he knows that he will lose his job if he leaves. Through the window, he sees Ellie get out of the car crying, followed by Bill, which compels the boy to leave work. His coworkers cover for him, so he doesn't get fired. He follows Ellie and Bill down the street and sees Bill turn into the movie theater, while Ellie keeps walking until she meets another man at a hotel. The boy watches her enter the elevator, then he returns to work. For a week, he follows them in the same way. He decides to save up his money and get a room at the hotel. He asks for a night off, but when the night comes, he decides to stop at the movie theater and go in with Bill instead. When Ellie comes to find Bill, the boy does not follow them out. Another time, he switches shifts with someone and goes back home. He finds out that Bill and Ellie still live life normally. Eventually, things begin to turn around, and the couple stops going into the city at night. Over the years, the boy grows up, but he's still reminded of Ellie every now and then. He thinks of the poverty in Russian novels and how the character of Sonia Marmeladov was forced into sex work, but she was also seen as a savior, akin to Jesus Christ, who sacrificed herself for her family. The man tries to envision Ellie that way, as someone who saves and should be saved.