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On a perfect early summer day, the Sheridan women prepare for their afternoon garden party. This year, Mrs. Sheridan has given the task to her daughters, although she is not completely hands off. Four workmen arrive to set up a large tent. Mrs. Sheridan sends Laura, her artistic daughter, to supervise them. Laura admires the men for their friendliness and lack of pretense. She wishes that they could be her friends instead of the silly boys in her upper-class social circle. She even imagines herself as a working-class girl.
A telephone call from her friend, Kitty Maitland, draws Laura back into the house. Slipping into the affected upper-class tone of her mother, Laura invites Kitty over for lunch before the party. Next, Sadie, a servant, announces a delivery from the florist. He has brought many trays of lilies for the party. Mrs. Sheridan confesses to have ordered them on a whim.
Back inside, Laura and her mother listen to her sister Jose practice singing while her other sister Meg accompanies her on the piano. Although the song is mournful, Jose sings it with an inappropriate smile. After listening, Mrs. Sheridan sends Jose and Meg to finish getting themselves ready and instructs Laura to make flags that identify the types of sandwiches served.
Taking the flags to the family’s cook, Laura and Jose discover that Godber’s bakery has delivered their famous cream puffs. Cook allows the girls to sample one each, despite their having just eaten breakfast.
As they leave the kitchen to check on the workmen, Laura and Jose learn that there has been a fatal accident nearby. Mr. Scott, a working-class neighbor, has been thrown from his cart. He leaves behind his widow with five young children. Laura thinks her family should cancel their party out of respect for the deceased’s family. Jose disagrees wholeheartedly.
When Laura goes to her mother, Mrs. Sheridan also dismisses the idea of canceling the party. She seems amused that Laura would even suggest it. Mrs. Sheridan gives Laura an extravagant new hat. Laura tries it on but cannot look at herself in the mirror, vexing her mother. Laura retreats to her room, where she catches a view of herself in another mirror. She is taken with how lovely she looks in the hat, causing her convictions about canceling the party to waver.
At the party, Laura gets caught up in her hostess duties. She focuses her attention on her guests and does not think of the deceased or his family. After the party, her father casually mentions the accident. Mrs. Sheridan thinks he is rude to bring it up but decides to send a basket with leftover party food to the Scotts. Laura balks at the idea yet agrees to deliver the food.
Laura heads down the hill to the poorer part of the neighborhood where the Scotts live. The surroundings change from bright and cheerful to gritty and depressing. She feels out of place in her party clothes and considers going back. However, she perseveres.
The Scott home is a small, dark cottage. The widow’s sister guides Laura into the house and to Mrs. Scott, who sits by the kitchen fire, showing clear signs of crying. She does not seem to understand why Laura is there. Laura leaves the basket, and the widow’s sister escorts her to the bedroom where the deceased lies.
At first, Laura does not want to look at the body. However, when she does, she is surprised by how peaceful Mr. Scott looks. He appears to be dreaming, far away from the troubles of life. Laura sobs and says “Forgive my hat” to Mr. Scott’s corpse, since she feels that custom dictates that she should say something.
Making her way back up the hill toward home, Laura encounters her brother, Laurie, who has been looking for her. She hugs him and begins to cry. Laurie asks how her visit went. Rather than awful, she calls it marvelous. She is unable to articulate her complex feelings about life that the experience has stirred in her. Laurie thinks he knows how she feels but gives her only a vague reassurance.
