Louie's married life

A young wife recounts the joys and sorrows of married life with a musician husband, interspersing the narrative with the songs she composed for his guitar. Their early happiness gives way to financial uncertainty, a serious illness, and domestic tensions with a distant relative. A compassionate physician provides solace while jealousy, bitter words, and a dramatic flight precipitate a feverish crisis. Recovery brings revelations found in an old album and a set of jewels, and the narrator closes with reflective, emotionally tempered conclusions about love, memory, and endurance.