Dick Lemon, a poet, is writing his masterpiece, which he reads to Molly Dripping, the servant. Mrs. Beans, the landlady, comes in and orders Molly out, and asks the poet for the rent. He turns out his empty pockets but points hopefully to the poem. Mrs. Beans orders him to get out. He proceeds to pack up. Molly remembers that he has had nothing to eat. She takes some food from the cupboard and takes it to him. He is overcome with gratitude and makes her a present of the poem. She returns to the kitchen where she comes across the rest of the paper she had wrapped the poet’s food in. Her eyes happen to glance on an advertisement offering “$1,000 for four lines of poetry advertising Killem’s Potted Meat.” She reads it again, then takes out the poem given to her. She looks at it, gets an idea, cuts off the first verse, alters it, then hurriedly posts it. In the meanwhile the poet is seen wandering on the railroad ties. Molly gets a letter from “The Killem Potted Meat Co.,” sending her $1,000 for her poem, and offers her position as head of their advertising staff. She instantly throws up her situation and is installed in the offices of The Potted Meat Co., but alas she cannot write poetry, so she cuts off another verse of the poem and alters it, much to the delight of the manager. The poet is now seen near the city reading a newspaper when he is astounded to see his poem advertising “Potted Meat” and vowing vengeance, he proceeds straight to their offices. Here he finds Molly now in deep disgrace, because the manager wants more poetry and she can’t think of any. The poet enters and indignantly asks for the manager. To his utter astonishment he meets Molly there, who explains things and to help her he gets behind the screen and when the manager returns again he gets all the poetry he wants.