The chapter opens with a flashback to a time when the narrator was a student at the University of Illinois. He was a member of the Athletic Club, which was a popular social club at the university. He used to be a good athlete, but his health had declined and he had lost most of his zest for life. The narrator tells us that the day before the flashback, he and the other students went for a walk. They had a good time, and the narrator is happy to see that they are back on track.