Miss Leeson, is a typist who rents a room in Mrs. Parker's boarding house. Miss Leeson does not have much money to spare, so she rents the smallest room available. The room is located on the top floor, is quite small, and has a skylight.  Guests of the parlor often collect on the porch in the evenings and chat. One evening, Miss Leeson, who is young and pretty, points out a star in the sky and declares she has named it Billy Jackson. One of the other women corrects her sharply. One of the admiring men defends her made-up name as far better. So goes the conversations.  Later in the story the reader finds Miss Leeson on hard times and unable to pay for both rent and food. She returns home to the parlor one day after searching for work. She is weak from lack of food, which she cannot afford. One of the guests offers to marry her, but Miss Leeson declines the offer of rescue, staying true to herself. She makes it to her room and collapses on her bed staring at star Billy Jackson through the skylight as she falls unconscious.