The story begins with Billy sitting and pondering his various escapades. He comes to the conclusion that all of his problems have come from women and he decides to cut the acquaintance of all women. As he is sitting and thinking Mary Brawne and her fiancee MacLaffin are playing tennis and hit a ball by him. A nearby homeless man, seeing the ball, tries to steal it and get away, but when MacLaffin notices, he slips the ball into Billy’s pocket and says that Billy stole it. MacLaffin threatens Billy and leaves. When he gets home, Billy receives a letter from his friend Bob which invites him to Bob’s vacation spot. Billy and Bob go out to dinner and Billy is shocked when he sees a beautiful woman named Bess. When Bob tells Billy that Bess is his wife-to-be Billy is frightened and publicly announces the he is engaged and cannot marry Bess. Having no other name in his mind he declares that he is engaged to Mary Brawne. Of course this announcement gets printed in the paper and, upon reading it, Mary Brawne and MacLaffin find and confront Billy. Billy, Bob, Bess and Mary and MacLaffin argue and during the ensuing fight Billy escapes out of the scene. - Moving Picture World May 27, 1916