A Serenade by Proxy

Eccles, a profligate old drunkard, is the father of two beautiful girls, Esther and Polly. George D'Alroy, a young officer in the British Army who is infatuated with Esther, brings his friend, Captain Hawtree, to call. The captain is greatly taken with the lively Polly, who makes him carry the teakettle about and generally dance attendance on her to the emphatic disgust of Sam Garridge, an ardent suitor for Polly's hand. Meanwhile Esther shows George a letter from an impresario offering her an engagement on the stage. The offer seems a veritable godsend to the girl, but she changes her mind when George asks her to be his wife instead. A few months after they are married, George receives the unpleasant news that he must sail for India with his regiment. Owing to her ultra-aristocratic ideas, George has not dared to tell his mother, the Marchioness D'Alroy, that he has married a girl of common origin, and he is in a quandary as to what provision he should make for Esther.

Kate, a washerwoman, takes Tim McGrath’s cab on security when he doesn’t pay his laundry bill. Trouble arises when Kate picks up her first passenger.

Herr Müller needs to travel across town, but he runs into difficulties because he cannot understand English.

A printer and his young assistant take over a local newspaper while the editor is away.

Vantyne Carter is a playboy living in luxury off his father. Vantyne's cousin Teddy, meanwhile, leads a fine upstanding life -- or at least he appears to, so he can curry favor with his wealthy uncle, Vantyne's father. One day, the senior Carter, fed up with his son's antics, decides to play a trick on both Vantyne and Teddy. The old man and his lawyer go off on a hunting trip, and then the lawyer returns with news that Carter was killed in an accident.

Follows legendary classical composer, Ludwig Van Beethoven, creating one of his most famous pieces called “Moonlight Sonata”.

Chivalrous Kernel Nutt comes to the aid of beauty in distress, when he sees a pretty damsel trying unsuccessfully to tie her shoelace. When he has tied it for her, a baseball, hot off the bat of a young Ty Cobb, hits the lady in the foot and she, thinking Nutt did it, hits him over the head with her handbag, then forgets to remove the bag, and Nutt discovers that it contains a nice big roll of bills. He takes a manicurist out to lunch, then accompanies her back to her place of business, a beauty parlor, where he is just in time to assume the duties of the boss, who is leaving for a vacation. After many amusing incidents, the lady who had treated him so ungratefully, enters the parlor and makes things hot for Nutt, who is finally forced to return the bag full of coin.

Mr. Jack flirts with a chic little miss, but accidentally knocks one of her gloves into the soup dish. He promises to replace it, but trouble ensues.