Young bachelor minister Ralph Dinsmore was very popular with his congregation. Being called from the West and unaccustomed to the wiles of the young ladies, he was rather backward and bashful. If he could have gotten up the nerve, he would have told his love to Grace Walker and she would have been pleased. The minister's housekeeper Sarah Squibbs was older than her master and far from prepossessing, but she loved him. His best chum Bob Smith, seeing the situation, conceived an idea to help the game and make Ralph and Grace the winners. He proposes a lottery, the minister to be the prize. He then juggles the tickets so that Grace shall hold No. 12, the winning number. Sarah is on the alert and changes the winning number to 23, and then secures No. 23 for herself. When the drawing comes off there is much excitement and screams when No. 23 is found to be the winner. The poor minister is crazy and Bob Smith and he settles down to think up a plan to beat the inevitable. They hit upon an idea. The ice man is a big, husky fellow, and they induce him to dress up in female garb and present himself at the rectory and claim her long-lost husband, the good minister. Dinsmore is kept out of sight and the ice man, or supposed wife is to seek the heart's blood of the hussy who is trying to steal her husband. The game is worked well. Sarah jumps out of the kitchen window and escapes, the minister is called from his hiding place and grasping the ice man by the hand, all have a good laugh. Grace arrives and finds the road clear to happiness.