A businessman lives with his wife Ethel and their two children in New York City. The family does not have much money. The businessman works and Ethel takes care of the house and children. One day, they meet some neighbors, the Trenchers, at a party. Shortly after, Dr. Trencher becomes infatuated with Ethel. Ethel's husband tries to ignore it at first, but he begins to take it seriously when Dr. Trencher begins to stalk Ethel and professes his love regularly. The children have a prolonged bout of bronchitis, and Ethel becomes more and more fed up with her life as a housewife. She begins to seriously consider running away with Trencher. The businessman does not like this. He takes his kids for a walk and recognizes the gravity of the situation. Later that evening, Trencher visits the house and makes one last plea for Ethel's hand. He says he can pay anything to take her away to Nevada. The businessman chases him out with force. After that, he sees Trencher much less frequently, though he knows that the doctor still lurks around the neighborhood.