Mr. Jack Magee, six weeks behind in his rent, is stopped by Mrs. Billups, the landlady, on his way out and told very bluntly that “it’s pay or get out.” He is a gay dog and succeeds in flattering her so that she temporarily forgets about the rent, but that evening when he comes home he finds his door locked. Nothing daunted, he proceeds to climb the fire escape to get into his room just after a burglar has climbed up the iron stairs and knocked over some boxes, arousing Mrs. Billups. She fires a big pistol out the window and yells for the police, frightening both the burglar and Mr. Jack so that they fall. Jack lands on top of the burglar, and when the cop arrives he gets all the credit for catching the burglar. For his heroic act he is welcomed into Mrs. Billups’ boarding house again, and the grateful lady’s appreciation assures Mr. Jack of comfort and three square meals a day ever after.