Papa Ward, a portly and dignified person, sits drowsily smoking in his study as his adorable daughter, Fannie, comes and bids him good-night. Shortly thereafter Toby Bates appears on the outside of the house muffled up in auto garb and throws pebbles against the window of Fannie's boudoir. She opens the window and presently comes down a ladder that the auto-lochinvar has placed against the house. They have made a fair start in their auto when Papa Ward misses her, finds the ladder, and starts his own machine in mad pursuit. Toby finds that he is short of gasoline. He persuades the girl to hide and disguises himself with goggles and mustache turning his machine about, facing the direction from which it came, and pretends to be mending the machine when Papa Ward comes in pursuit. He does not recognize his would-be son-in-law, who gives the old man the wrong direction to follow. The girl comes from concealment and their machine is turned back home. When Papa Ward comes back utterly wearied, he finds his daughter peacefully sleeping. She persuades the old gentleman that he acted under the impulse of a dream. With confidence restored they elope the next night. Then Papa Ward forgives them and all ends happily.