Charlie (Charlie Chaplin) takes a job as a janitor in the home of Colonel Nutt (unidentified actor), a munitions manufacturer. As the butler (unidentified actor) introduces Charlie to the ill-tempered cook (Billy Armstrong), Colonel Nutt demonstrates his new wireless explosive device to his daughter (unidentified actress). Meanwhile, agents of the Pretzelstrass meet with the Count (Leo White) to devise a plan to get at Colonel Nutt's device. Charlie carelessly dumps garbage all over the maid (Edna Purviance) and her newly clean floor. He takes the trash can and dumps it over the fence, inundating the Count in the process. Back in the kitchen, the maid scolds Charlie, but then becomes emotional, and he comforts her. The Count enters the house, and is hit by a wet rag thrown by the maid, intended for Charlie. The Count tosses it off to the side, and it winds up hitting the cook also, and when the cook begins to act cruelly towards the maid in return, Charlie sticks up for her. The Count makes his way to the Colonel, who rejects his offers and has the Count ejected by way of the butler.

His day's work done, Charlie makes his way to a flophouse for a night's sleep. At this point, a pickpocket (also Billy Armstrong) holds up the Count, but instead of taking his money he agrees to join the caper to liberate Dr. Nutt of his invention. The conversation is overheard by a cop, who then runs off to inform his fellow officers; they are in an abandoned lot, shooting craps. They storm the Nutt house, and highly disrupt its resident, but explain to him that they "are on the trail of a great robbery."