Monty Gray, just returned from 10 years in China, meets Wilbur Mason, his old college chum, who shows him a photograph of Constance Lanning, his cousin. Monty falls in love with the picture and vows to win the original for his wife. Mason informs Monty his chances are slim, because Mrs. Lanning is determined her daughter shall marry some representative of foreign nobility. Undaunted, Monty secures a letter of introduction and appropriates the photograph. Monty secures an English valet, who coaches him in the ways of the nobility. At the Lanning home he finds a house party in full swing, the Duke of Canister being among the guests. Monty hears Constance refuse the Duke's proposal. He then makes bold to propose, despite the fact that he is impersonating Lord Winston Radleigh. Constance confesses her admiration, but declines to give her final answer. Matters take a surprising turn next morning when a messenger brings a note from Constance. She informs him she is being held for ransom at a nearby ranch. Monty hurriedly goes in the Lanning motor to the ranch designated, conducts a spirited assault upon the band, and makes things so warm for them that the four hurry the girl to a horse and carry her off, with Monty in pursuit. He shoots her captors and finally comes upon Constance tied helpless and prone upon the ground, where the cowboys have thrown her. He returns to the ranch and is astonished to find the men whom he believed he had shot and killed assembled to meet them. Those whom he has encountered are badly bruised but are in a merry mood. Monty realizes that he has been the victim of an experiment: Constance wanted to know if she was in love with a "real man."
—Moving Picture World synopsis