The plot of this story starts out with a brief introduction of Mrs. Mooney, one of the protagonists in the story. Mrs. Mooney was forced into opening a boarding house to make a living, after she had divorced herself from her husband, who had been a violent alcoholic. Helping Mrs. Mooney in her boarding house is her 19-year old daughter, Polly. Overall, business for Mrs. Mooney’s boarding house is quite good as its location in Dublin, combined with its affordable rates, has attracted many different sorts of clients, such as clerks and musicians. Polly, who used to work in an office as a clerk, was forced by her mother to help out around the boarding house following the repeated advances attempted on her by a perverted sheriff’s man.