- Mossie Wax struggles with the infirmities of old age, the loneliness of widowhood and the desperation of poverty.
- Aged and frail, Mossie returns from shopping and glances up toward her apartment to see her husband's face at the window. She's horrified to see him pulled away because he was deceased. Despondent and feeling helpless, she soon falls for a sales pitch that she can make good money by buying a sewing machine. She then suffers buyers remorse and tries to return it, without success. She aimlessly pulls it around town on a Radio Flyer wagon and returns to the store at night. As she shouts "You are a disgrace to the United States of America!" Mossie hurls a brick through the window.
The next day, a young runaway notices Mossie guarding the machine and smiles at the strange sight. Mossie scolds Rebecca, warning her not to try to steal her machine. Rebecca starts a dialogue with Mossie and finds her to be interesting and quite unguarded. Mossie is starved for companionship and Rebecca needs a place to stay, so it seems all is good. Mossie is giddy with joy over her new friend and housemate. After they have gone to bed, Mossie talks in a joyful voice about what good times lie ahead. "We'll sew new dresses, and walk downtown" she says with childlike joy, as Rebecca's eyes well with tears. Rebecca is overcome with emotion, and runs into the night without saying a word. Mossie is devastated, and desperately calls to her.
A few days later, Rebecca calls 911 from a phone-booth and asks for a welfare check on Mossie. The police force their way in to find Mossie in bed, near death. Waking up in the hospital, Mossie gets dressed and simply walks out, and back to her apartment.
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