Spinsterish Millicent "Milly" Wetherby (Joan Crawford) works at home as a self-employed typist. One evening in a diner, she meets a lonely U.S. Army veteran named Burt Hanson (Cliff Robertson). They share a romantic date at the beach, kissing amidst the crashing waves, but Milly tells Burt to date someone his own age. A month later, Burt is waiting for the still-lonely Milly at her home and the two celebrate his new job at a department store. He proposes to her in a movie theater, and while she initially rejects the proposal, she reconsiders when she sees him walking away.