Jack, though impecunious, is a star boarder, and an ardent suitor for the hand of Flossy. He is about to win her, when Harry, possessed of a huge bankroll, comes upon the scene. Harry immediately becomes a rival suitor, scattering money in lavish entertainment of capricious Flossy. It is Flossy’s birthday. Harry sends a huge bouquet of flowers. Harry, bemoaning his lack of dollars, is standing in front of a jeweler’s store, gazing at what he would like to give Flossy, when a woman drops a case containing an expensive brooch. Harry returns it, but in the excitement he keeps the richly-lined case that contained it. For fifteen cents, Harry buys a tawdry duplicate of the jeweled brooch, intending to give it to Flossy. But his rent is overdue. The landlady duns him and Harry, seeing the $100 tag on the brooch case, loans a roll of bills and takes the brooch as his security. Harry tells Flossy that the brooch is a piece of his family’s treasure, and asks her to wear it to a bail to which he is to take her. But the landlady, discovering that the brooch is brass, throws it into a coal scuttle where Sophie, a maid, discovers it. At the ball that night, Flossy haughtily tells Harry that the brooch is lost. Meanwhile Sophie, the maid, adorns herself with the imitation treasure, and some of Flossie’s party clothing. Who should come in while she is thus attired but Jack going unaccompanied to the ball. Sophie, being champion dancer of Kitchen Maid’s Local No. 42, jumps at Jack’s invitation to go with him to the affair. Harry is terror-stricken at the loss of the brooch. He decides to offer to purchase it from Jack, rather than tell him of the loss. When Harry gives Jack $50 for the worthless trinket, he (Harry) thinks he is escaping luckily. Jack contrives to exchange partners with Harry. Jack exhibits his “roll” and he and Sophie ride gaily away in a taxi, leaving the befuddled Harry behind, with Sophie and the brooch of brass.