During the Depression in New York, Jaret Otkar has just lost his antiques business. Homeless and penniless, he makes his way to Central Park, to figure out what he will do next. On the way, he meets violinist Morris Rosenberg on a street corner, a man who is also homeless. Together they make their way to Central Park where Mr Sweeney, a street cleaner, tells them of a tool shed which they can use for shelter until the spring. Elizabeth Cheney is the next person they meet, and Mr Otkar recognises her as a recent visitor to his old shop. She is a struggling actress, and has just been given notice on the furnished rooms she was renting. The two men invite her to stay with them, and she agrees simply because things are desperate and her only alternative is to live on the streets.