Frankie moves in with his maternal uncle, a simple man who was "dropped on his head as a child" and lives alone in the house. Frank gets a job as a telegram delivery boy on his 14th birthday in August and enjoys his first real wages. He meets many unexpected situations while delivering telegrams, including his first girlfriend, who dies of tuberculosis. He meets Mrs Finucane who buys clothes for people at a discount, and then they pay her back over time for the full price; she asks Frank to write threatening letters to encourage them to repay those loans. He tells no one about this job, which he has until she dies.