John Osborne is seated in the club engaged in a discussion with Harmon Dupree. Osborne holds that environment is the power that guides the destinies of men and women, and to prove his theory, tells Dupree that he will pick up the first down-and-outer they encounter, install him as secretary in his home, and watch results. As Osborne and Dupree are leaving the club a short time later, they encounter a tramp trying to make a “touch” from their chauffeur. Osborne sees in his man a fit subject for his test, and, taking him in tow, brings him to his house and offers him a position as secretary. The tramp consents. To further prove the theory, Dupree makes a further suggestion. He holds that, once a thief, always a thief, and gathering from their subject’s appearance when they found him, that he no doubt has at one time served a prison term, Dupree tells Osborne that he will pretend that he has just gotten into his (Osborne’s) good graces for the purpose of robbing him of the famous Osborne necklace, and asks Osborne, for the occasion of the test he has in mind, to transfer the necklace from the safety deposit vault to his safe at home; that he (Dupree) will rob the safe of the necklace at a time when only the secretary is at the house; that he will let the secretary catch him in the act, and then offer him half of the swag if he will remain silent. The plan sounds plausible to Osborne, and he consents. The following day he transfers the necklace to his safe at home, and that evening, accompanied by his wife, Osborne goes to the theater, leaving Dupree at home with the secretary. Before leaving, as pre-arranged between Osborne and Dupree, the former closes the safe, but does not lock it. After the departure of Osborne and his wife, Dupree, on the pretense that he wishes a message delivered, succeeds in getting the secretary away from the house for a short time. He then opens the safe, and secures the necklace. As he is about to leave the house, the secretary bars his way and makes him a prisoner. Dupree offers the secretary half of the jewels if he will allow him to escape. The secretary summons Osborne home by telephone. As Osborne is in the act of explaining to the secretary the joke they played on him, he is amazed to see the secretary pull back his coat and display a secret service badge. The secretary then introduces himself as Frank Harwood, a secret service operator, and also discloses Dupree as an international crook, whom he has been trailing for some time.