A young woman is quite taken with a man she met; in fact, he is her “ideal”. However, after her new suitor refuses to get mixed up in a street brawl, the young woman views him as a coward. Nearby, a violent convict has escaped from prison. While the couple takes a ride in the woman’s automobile, the criminal ambushes a guard, taking the officer’s clothing and gun. The young woman still argues her suitor is a coward, drops him off, and drives off alone. She is then carjacked by the on-the-lam criminal. The young man witnesses the ambush and sets out to rescue his lover.

Veteran Warner and old gardener Burns vie for the hand of Widow Simpson, and the gardener steals the former's uniform and joins in the ranks of a parade, pursued by his rival. Utilizes footage shot during a Thomas Ince battle production at Inceville, the Grand Army of the Republic parade in downtown Los Angeles which commenced at 9:30am PST on September 11, 1912 (including starting area at 5th and Los Angeles and viewing stands near finish by Courthouse at Broadway and Temple), and other G.A.R. festivities at the National Soldiers' Home at Sawtelle in Los Angeles.

A swindler scams a newspaper reporter-photographer and then, not realizing where the man is employed, applies for a job at his newspaper.

The Tramp interferes with the celebration of several kid auto races in Venice, California (Junior Vanderbilt Cup Race, January 10 and 11, 1914), standing himself in the way of the cameraman who is filming the event.