Raggedy Man

Nita is a divorced mother and the town's World War II switchboard operator in Gregory, Texas, on call day and night. She petitions for a regular hours secretary job, but her boss explains that wartime freezes positions and forces sacrifices. The town's gossip machine treats her status as front-page fodder.

Two brothers, Calvin and Arnold, repeatedly harass Nita at her home and torment her with leering attention toward her sons. The disfigured 'raggedy man' is seen lurking in the background, heightening the sense of danger. Sheriff Watson links the raggedy man to a supposed harmless drifter named Bailey.

Teddy Roebuck, a US Navy sailor on leave, arrives at Nita's doorstep needing a pay phone to contact his fiancée. Nita offers him coffee and they connect, sharing a quiet moment amid the town's gossip. With nowhere else to go, Teddy decides to spend his remaining leave with Nita and her boys.

Teddy and the boys take a bus trip to a beachside carnival, and Teddy becomes close with the kids. He and Nita grow closer and begin to fall in love as they share time together. The outing signals a hopeful new chapter for the makeshift family.

Nita phones Sheriff Watson to report a peeping Tom; the sheriff can't locate anyone and notes the town is buzzing about the stranger staying with her. He confirms the raggedy man near her house is a drifter named Bailey. The tension surrounding Nita persists.

Nita and Teddy's relationship deepens, including a night of intimacy that leaves Teddy shirtless on her porch and fuels more town gossip. Calvin and Arnold try to pry into Nita's life to undermine Teddy. Teddy intervenes when trouble looms, sparking a confrontation.

Nita and Teddy decide it would be best for him to leave town to avoid scandal and protect the family. The boys bid Teddy farewell with sadness, while Harry resents the idea of losing the man who cared for them. Nita holds onto hope for a safer future.

Rigby rejects Nita's request for a transfer again, prompting her to buy one-way bus tickets to San Antonio. She imagines a new start away from town whispers and danger. The plan signals a potential escape for her and her children.

That very night, Calvin and Arnold lure Henry outside and assault Nita to intimidate her further. The raggedy man cuts the lights and starts Calvin's truck, using its headlights to menace the porch. As Arnold steps out with a knife, a struggle erupts.

The raggedy man kills Calvin and Arnold to prevent further harm to Nita and her sons. Nita finds Bailey dead on the porch, and, studying the disfigured face, realizes the intruder is her ex-husband, Harry senior. The shocking revelation casts a grim pall over the night’s events.

At dawn, Nita and her sons board the bus to San Antonio, leaving Gregory behind. They interpret Harry senior’s actions as protecting them and hold onto the hope of a safer future. They also look forward to seeing Teddy again, even as they begin anew.

The family moves toward San Antonio, carrying the memory of Teddy as a beacon of companionship. The journey marks a tentative new beginning, with the possibility of reunion and a safer life ahead. They press on, united by love and a shared resolve.