Summary

After being thrown out of the Grotes' home, Vivian walks four miles in the cold and snow to the schoolhouse. In conversation with Miss Larsen, Vivian reveals her squalid living conditions and Mr. Grote's sexual molestation, asking she can live with the teacher. Miss Larsen reluctantly refuses as she lives in a boardinghouse which does not allow children. Nevertheless, she promises to help Vivian find a new home. Later, Mr. Sorenson, the Children's Aid worker, arrives and listens to Vivian's tale, but is unconvinced and believes Vivian might be exaggerating and overdramatizing. When Miss Larsen supports Vivian, Mr. Sorenson says he will make inquiries on a new home for her. In the meantime, Miss Larsen takes Vivian to a temporary home, Mrs. Murphy's boardinghouse, where she (Miss Larsen) lives. Mrs. Murphy, an energetic Irishwoman, takes an instant liking to Vivian and introduces her...