- A young man with little means wants to marry a rich girl, and thinks up a scheme to get rich.
- Frederick Tile, a poor young lawyer, and Ethel Sinclair, the daughter of a wealthy corn magnate, want to marry, but her father refuses his consent until Frederick earns his own fortune. Meanwhile, in South America, Maria Tile divorces her husband Frederick, who is no relation to the poor lawyer. Her father's will specifies that his son-in-law will lose his inheritance if he remarries, prompting Maria's lawyer to search New York City for someone bearing the same name. They contact Frederick the lawyer, who accepts $100,000 to marry "in name only" an ugly four-time widow. Meanwhile, Ethel plans to elope with Frederick, unaware of his sham marriage secret. Mr. Sinclair consents to the proposed wedding and places announcements in the newspapers. When the widow reads the announcements and demands more than her payment of $500, Frederick reveals the truth to his fiancée. Ethel despairs until the widow's real husband is released from prison, leaving Frederick free to marry after a 12-month delay.—AFI
- Frederick Tile, a New York lawyer, is in love with Ethel Sinclair, daughter of a corn magnate. But there is another man named Frederick Tile, married to a woman named Maria Pizzaro, who is from South America. Maria has divorced her husband, and under the terms of her father's will, her former husband cannot share in the estate if he remarries within a year after her father's death. Maria comes to New York with Sevier, her lawyer. Her divorced husband wires her that he is leaving on the next ship. Sevier tells Maria that he will find another Frederick Tile, and arrange a sham marriage before her divorced husband arrives in New York. This would protect her fortune. They find Frederick Tile's name in the city directory and hire a lawyer to arrange the marriage. Meanwhile, Ethel's father finds a marriage license for Tile and Ethel. He assumes Tile is after her money, and tears up the license in front of Tile.
Tile is despondent, until the lawyer contacts him with an offer of $100,000 to marry a widow, who would also agree to an immediate divorce. Tile agrees to the marriage, not realizing how ugly the woman is because she is hidden under a veil. Ethel telephones her father that she and Tile have eloped. She withdraws money from the bank and bursts in on Tile just as his wedding has concluded. She tells him she is ready to marry him, but he tells her he cannot marry for one year, due to the terms of his marriage.
Ethel departs in anger, and her father has the police search for her. James Carleton, a friend of Tile, gives him the key to his home and tells him to stay there until the situation is resolved. Ethel goes to the same house, believing that Carleton's sister, who is her friend, will put her up. Ethel and Tile end up in adjoining rooms, then bump into each other in the hallway. They end up dining together, then read newspaper accounts of their supposed elopement. Tile's bride appears on the scene, claiming she is dissatisfied with the $500 she was paid to become Tile's wife, and demands more money. Tile locks her in a room. Ethel's father demands that his daughter and Tile have an official marriage, not realizing that Tile is already married. Tile is forced to tell him the truth. At this point, an ex-convict who has just been released from Sing Sing appears and recognizes the bride as his wife. The two are sent to Cuba. However, Tile and Ethel must still wait a year before they can get married.
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