Set in a Cape Cod village, the three-act comedy follows the interactions of a light-keeper, a retired whaler, a postmaster, a constable and other townspeople as they navigate gossip, domestic changes, and romantic entanglements. The action centers on a woman preparing to leave her longtime home when unexpected arrivals and misunderstandings—returning relatives, a mysterious new tenant, and a young man's tall tales—set off a chain of humorous situations. Scenes shift between a parlor and a fish-house, bringing together lively local types, small-town rivalry, and gentle satire of provincial life, and resolve in reconciliations and comic denouement.