Jim Qwilleran is a frugal bachelor and writer for the Daily Fluxion while he lives in Down Below. His sole extravagance is his two Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum. While he is vacationing in Mooseville, he learns that he has inherited the Klingenschoen fortune, and as mandated by the will, he moves to the Klingenschoen mansion in Pickax. Since he needs to hire a housekeeper, Qwill employs Mrs. Cobb, his former landlady from Down Below. Qwill has no desire to have a lot of money; he only wants to be able to write with minimal interruption, and he plans to distribute the surplus income within Moose County in the form of grants, scholarships, etc. Qwill dates Melinda Goodwinter.