- A bumbling janitor in a fleabag hotel drives the residents crazy, and a poor artist believes that his girlfriend is having an affair with a wealthy artist living across the hall and takes unorthodox measures to find out what's going on.
- Billy, the janitor of the De Luxe Studio apartments, is ordered by Hyflyer, the fashionable artist, to serve breakfast immediately. Billy's wife prepares the meal and Bill departs upstairs with a tray of chicken. In the same apartments there resides Daub, a young impoverished artist. The only way that Daub can avoid eviction is by accepting a commission from Dough, the landlord, to paint the latter's picture. Inspired by the love of his sweetheart, Ethel, Daub starts nobly on his work. However, his ambitions are shattered when he sees Ethel entering the studio of Hyflyer, his despised professional rival. Infuriated at the sight, Daub bursts into Hyflyer's studio. Here the scene he beholds destroys all of his remaining reason, for he finds Ethel tenderly stroking Hyflyer's head. Little does Daub realize that Hyflyer has been felled by Billy, who has mistaken the artist for Mike, the elevator chauffeur. Daub seizes a large life-like painting of Ethel that is standing on a nearby easel and smashes it over the head of the unlucky Hyflyer. Tearfully Ethel explained that she had posed for the painting only because that the proceeds of its sale would be utilized to defray the expenses of their coming wedding. Hyflyer bemoans the loss of his prized canvas as the date of the exhibition is only a day off. In Daub's studio another tragedy has in the meantime occurred. Mike has seen a mouse enter under the door to Daub's studio and has followed it, armed with a club. Finding the mouse creeping along the top of the finished portrait of Dough, Mike aims a killing blow at the mouse, only to miss, and the club rips through the canvas. Horrified, Mike gazes at the result of his ill-aimed blow, when Ethel and Daub enter. Daub is heartbroken as he realizes what will happen when Dough is told of the mishap to the picture. Mike conceives the idea of dressing himself up to resemble the painting and impersonating the landlord's canvas. The idea is so successful that on the day of the exhibit none of the guests realize that the paintings which are supposed to represent Ethel and Dough are in reality flesh and blood substitutes. None but Billy, for he has discovered the ruse only through an accident. As soon as Billy learns that his hated enemy, Mike, is sitting in the easel, Billy arms himself with a heavy mallet and proceeds to wreak vengeance on Mike. Consternation reigns among the guests, who promptly proceed to take summary action upon Billy.
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