in new york, bertie is surprised to be woken by his friend rockmetteller "rocky" todd, who normally lives quietly in the country. rocky received a letter from his aunt in illinois and namesake, miss isabel rockmetteller: she will pay rocky an allowance, on the condition that he live in new york and write to her once a week about his experiences there so she can enjoy the city second-hand. she feels that she is not healthy enough to go to new york herself, though rocky asserts that she is only being lazy.