Pierre Brissac is a burglar by occupation and Le Petit Jean is his accomplished confrere. At the moment the story opens they are engaged in the "innocent" occupation of selecting a house to rob. They hit upon the residence of John Brand, who that morning had parted in anger with his wife, Helene, vowing to live at the club until she learned to control her temper. Taking him at his word, Helene also determines to desert the family home and go to her mother. She packs up all her jewelry as it might remind her of an unpleasant past, and leaves it for hubby on the top of the bureau with a note telling him of her departure. In due time the burglars arrive at the front door, turn up the door mat, find the key, ransack the house and, having packed up all the valuables, sit down to a nice cold dinner. When they are ready they depart with their loot. In the meantime, Brand fails to enjoy the club as anticipated, returns to the house, misses his keys, sits on the front steps and is jailed as a burglar. In the morning Mrs. Brand repents, returns, telephone the police that the house has been robbed, is advised that the burglar is in jail, and promptly going there finds her unlucky husband. Sadder and wiser they are reunited and live happy forever after.