Steve Mason (David James Elliott), a veteran and drifter, is employed as a clerk during the Christmas season at Crowley's, a New York department store. He suspects customer Connie Ennis (Cynthia Gibb) of being a comparative shopper for a rival store when she buys an expensive toy train set without asking a single question about it. That night, her son Timmy (Curtis Blanck) becomes excited when he sneaks a peek at what he thinks is his present, only to be disappointed when his mother sets him straight. When Connie returns the train the next day, Steve tells her that he should report her to the store detective, which would lead to her firing. After she explains that she is a war widow with a son to support, Steve refunds her money, a gesture that costs him his job.