To obtain an increase in the income he receives from his wealthy uncle, Charles Shackleton is told he must stop his wild bachelor ways and marry. Charles duly proposes to Lucy Norton, but her father, Colonel Norton, refuses his permission because of the young man's reputation. Undaunted, Charles lies to his uncle that he has married, and thus receives his increased allowance. A year later, the uncle announces an upcoming visit, and Charles begins a frantic search for a temporary wife, offering Jane, the maid, five hundred dollars to play the part of Mrs. Shackleton for one day. Jane happens to be secretly married to William Tipson, the butler, but she nonetheless undertakes the role without her husband's knowledge, causing him much confusion and jealousy, because that $500 will allow her to buy her dream chicken ranch, "with chickens that lay real eggs," When the uncle arrives and demands to see "the baby," Jane snatches one from Mrs. Chadwick, an unsuspecting washerwoman, who later catches the uncle with her child and calls the police. Further complications lead to Charles' pleading proposal to Lucy and then finally to the truth. Charles gets his wife, Jane gets the $500, and the uncle is happy.