when natty's father calls connie, she tells him natty is gone. in a later phone call he is grieved to learn that natty's wallet was found underneath a derailed freight train — unbeknownst to him, she survived the crash. he is given a week's leave from the lumber company to search through the wreckage for her, but to no avail. he returns to the lumber camp and requests the most dangerous jobs, known as "widow's work", now that he seems to have little to live for.