Morley Finch, a young physician, and his wife, Barbara, are on their way to visit Mr. Honti, a novelty gadget manufacturer. Both Morley and his wife are hesitant about continuing their weekly visits to the Honti’s house, but feel like they should go given Mr. Honti’s recent financial troubles.

At the Honti house, Mrs. Honti sits on the poolside with a man named Edmond Oleam. Mr. Honti is out searching for new clients in Beverley Hills. Like Mr. Honti, Edmond was in the novelty business, and after he had fallen on financial hardship his wife had left him for a man who owns three factories. When Barbara and Morley arrive, it starts to rain and they quickly move everything inside the house. After finding no business success in town, Mr. Honti returns to his house and announces that a palm reader has predicted he will come into good fortune at 3:30 and then jumps in the pool. 

Mr. Honti sees that his behavior has bothered Barbara and he vows to act more mature around her going forward. He hears the doorbell ring and believes that it is his prophecy coming true and finds a messenger dropping off a cake from the mother-in-law of a fellow inventor to thank Mr. Honti for not demanding the man pay the money he lent back. Finding himself still poor, he grows upset again and throws himself back in the pool in front of his guests.

Edmond continues to lament his broken marriage and wonders if he should pay a visit to his ex-wife and her new lover. Morley feels embarrassed that Barbara has to witness Edmond and Mr. Honti’s antics and wished he didn’t bring her to the gathering and he plans for them to leave at the next polite opportunity. When Mr. Honti approaches Barbara, she misinterprets his intentions and runs away into the garden. Morley follows her and explains Mr. Honti was only trying to look at her wristwatch to see if it was 3:30 yet. Barbara begins to cry and Morley hears a commotion coming from the poolside. 

At 3:30 sharp, Mr. Honti received a phone call from an investor who tells him to go ahead and schedule meetings. He announces that they will host a party to celebrate and, to Edmond’s great horror, that Mr. Scorbell, Edmond’s wife’s new lover, will be his financier. Then, Mr. Honti pinched Barbara, eliciting a rage-filled reaction from her and causing her to punch him in the mouth and knocking out his teeth. Seeing as he couldn’t talk to investors in this state, Mr. Honti’s fortune goes just as quickly as it had come. 

Barbara and Morley drive away, but they don’t get very far until their car runs out of gas. Morley begins to hike to the nearest gas station. Meanwhile, Mr. Honti drives over to Mr. Scorbell’s house, in hopes he will still want to invest in his work. At the house, the Honti’s dog looks around for the people who had once filled it, but finds it remarkably empty.