A fresh traveling salesman by the descriptive name of Archibald Masher arrives in Slumberville and registers at the hotel at the same time as an inoffensive-looking little man who signs himself as "Mr. Jabb." The two men are assigned to rooms across the hall from each other; Masher's room number is 13; Jabb's is 15. Masher meets village flirt Lil on the main street; when her shoestring loosens, accidentally-on-purpose he gallantly re-ties it for her and the two walk off arm-in-arm. But her "steady beau" Si Hanks sees this, goes wild with rage, and pursues them. Masher proves to be a coward, but Lil saves him from a thrashing. Meeting Jabb, Masher offers the meek little fellow $10 to switch rooms with him, claiming that he's superstitious about the number 13. Actually, Masher has learned that Si and his cronies intend to kidnap him and run him out of town on a rail. No sooner have the two men exchanged rooms than Si and his backers creep up the stairs and into room 13. An indescribable riot follows; at the whirlwind finish, scrappy little Jabb knocks the three men down and throws them down the stairs. He then informs Masher that he wants his own room back, and gets it. The next morning, the news of Masher's heroism spreads and the townsfolk show him much hero-worship. But his triumphant is short-lived: Jabb shows up for his $10, inadvertently revealing what really happened and adding that he is champion prizefighter "O. Whata Jabb." Lil gives Masher the "cold shoulder" while the crowd grabs him and carries out Si's original intentions of giving the fresh drummer a rail ride, after which Lil is glad to rest her head on Si's manly bosom.
—Moving Picture World synopsis