In which Una Golden embarks on her first foray into stenography under the erratic yet oddly endearing supervision of Walter Babson, whose bouts of incoherence and bouts of inspiration reveal a man adrift between literary ambition and daily toil. As Una learns of Babson’s troubled past and precarious position in the office hierarchy, the office environment subtly brightens with the arrival of spring, reflecting the quiet hopes and stirrings of those within its walls.