Hiring a Gem

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Dick Younghusband is in an unusually bad frame of mind, when, late for breakfast, be finds the victuals cold, the toast hard and the coffee merely lukewarm. Angrily he calls Molly, the cook, scolds her roundly, and banging the coffee pot on the table, threatens to discharge her if she does not hereafter provide him with a warm breakfast. The fiery little lady listens with rising temper and when he is finally forced to desist in his upbraiding for lack of breath, throws off her apron, shakes her fist at him, and tells him where she can get another position. Molly leaves and Mrs. Younghusband angrily scolds her husband for his impatience, and further adds that if Dick does not get her another cook he'll have no dinner. Younghusband laughs scornfully. A cook, indeed! He promises his wife to bring home a servant with him that evening without fail and hurriedly leaves for the office. After an unusually busy day at the office, Younghusband recalls he has had no time to find a cook. It is after five o'clock and when he calls up several employment agencies the 'phone calls are not answered. In despair he is about to leave the office when Henry Little, a friend, enters. Younghusband informs his friend of his predicament and suddenly asks Little to make up as a female cook and thus help him to save the day. After some argument Little resolves to play the part and after visiting a costumers', where the young man is rigged out to resemble a real Irish cook, the two hurry to Younghusband's home. The new cook is introduced to Mrs. Younghusband, who shows "Maggie" to the kitchen and gives him instructions about the supper. "Maggie" has some difficulty in preparing the meal, but the catastrophe comes in the dining room when he tries to wait on the table. In his awkwardness "Maggie" almost demolishes all the tableware, buy Younghusband is lenient and begs his wife to give the poor woman a chance. Dick goes out to the kitchen to remonstrate with Little for his awkwardness, but this latter has found two bottles of beer in the refrigerator and invites Dick to join him. Dick produces the cigars and a moment later when Mrs. Younghusband enters she finds her husband and "Maggie," this latter with his feet cocked upon the table, smoking and drinking and laughing over the fun. In a rage Mrs. Younghusband drags her unlucky spouse from the room and "Maggie," left alone, soon finds company in the neighboring policeman, Pat O'Rourke. But "Maggie's" dress catches on fire from the cigar he had been smoking and not even the bucket of water O'Rourke douses him with puts out the flames. Mrs. Younghusband and Dick enter to see "Maggie" running out of the door and headed for the lake. The final scenes show "Maggie" running into the lake and being rescued by the valiant O'Rourke.