Irene recalls the last time she ran into Clare. Both Irene and Clare grew up in Chicago, but after Irene’s marriage, she and her husband moved to New York. But two years ago they saw each other again. In the summer while her children are away at camp, Irene comes back to Chicago for a visit. On this particular day, she is shopping downtown for some presents to take home to her children. It is so hot that Irene feels faint. So she goes to a nearby hotel and takes the elevator to the top floor, where she hopes to sit down, sip an ice tea, and enjoy a cool breeze. While she is sitting there, a woman comes to the table next to hers. At first this woman pays no attention to Irene, but once she glances over, she appears unable to take her eyes off Irene. Finally the woman asks if they might know one another. Irene cannot place her until the woman laughs. Then she immediately recognizes her as Clare.

Clare has a lot of questions for Irene. She wants to know what people from their old Southside neighborhood said after she disappeared from their lives. She tells Irene about the events of her life after her father died. Her father’s aunts took her in. They were white Christians. They felt it was their duty to care for the young teen, but they were harsh. They knew Clare was the product of an affair their nephew had with a Negro. Although they allowed Clare to live with them, they treated her like a servant. Clare claims that her life with them was very difficult. The aunts made her work day and night.

However, having white aunts offered her an advantage, especially when Clare decided to pass as Caucasian. Clare tells Irene that she could always refer to her aunts as family in case anyone asked about her background—which, Clare says, no one ever did. Eventually Clare ran away from the aunts and married a white man from South America.

When Irene tells Clare she has to go, Clare insists that they meet again. Irene’s schedule is very busy, so she suggests that Clare come with her to a get together planned for that weekend. Clare would have a chance to catch up on all the old neighborhood gossip because many of their old friends would be there. But as soon as Irene invites Clare, she immediately regrets it. She also senses that Clare probably would not want to come. The people there would all be black. Over the years, their mutual acquaintances had seen Clare on occasion, passing as white and always in the company of rich, white people. This does not sit well with their old friends. Clare, they think, is a fraud. In addition, during those times in the 1920s, if a black person were caught trying to pass as white, the situation could become dangerous. Even Irene, who is light skinned and often considered to be Italian, feels a little nervous sitting in the restaurant. If someone guesses that she is black, she probably would be escorted disgracefully out of the restaurant.

Clare turns down Irene’s invitation but continues to press Irene to come to her house before Irene returns to New York. Irene finally says she will try to rearrange her schedule so she can have Tuesday free. But as soon as she leaves the hotel, Irene begins thinking up excuses for not meeting Clare. She hopes she never sees the woman again.