A mild-mannered man is John, the second husband of Martha, a domineering shrew, who makes his life miserable by nagging and constantly pointing out the good traits of her first husband, lost at sea, wishing be could return to her. John determines to cure her by inducing a sailor friend of his to impersonate Martha’s first husband and abuse her to such an extent that she will never mention his name again. Things do not work out quite so smoothly as John had planned. The friend who impersonates her first husband does it so remarkably well that it attracts the police and by a most laughable mistake Martha is dragged to jail charged with disorderly conduct. John then sets about to secure her release and finds that although she was arrested by mistake, it has served the double purpose of completely taming her and allowing him to be master of his house.