In Chicken Center, Merta, the little fat rascal, dreams of love, but a 500-pound weight brings her back to life again. In the same neighborhood a distracted wife sits up, waiting for her husband's return from a "sick friend," while in the cold gray dawn of the same day a bank robbery is being enacted. The constable makes a raid on the sick friend's apartment, sending the chips and cards flying all over the room, while the bank president makes his escape unnoticed. Later the constable calls to inform him of the robbery, but mistaking his motive, the bank president grabs his wife and rushes her away. Once aboard the ship bound for Nowhere, Mr. President is satisfied that he has left the hounds of the law far beyond reach; but the captain receives word that the thieves are on board his ship and orders a search to be made. Merta's sweetheart, who witnessed the bank robbery, was thrown in the hold of the boat by the thieves, but succeeded in sending word to Merta of his danger. The boat starts, but Merta is persistent, and throwing a rope to the other side of the river, swings herself across and drops onto the deck of the boat. The bank thieves suspect danger and deposit the money with the bank president, but he in turn hides it in the smokestack. This incident is witnessed by his wife. She is about to take the money when Merta arrives upon the scene. She gives the lady a chase for the money, who, finding herself outwitted, jumps overboard, only to be followed by Merta, the daredevil of Chicken Center. At the bottom of the ocean Merta relieves her of the money and comes up smiling. She returns the bankroll to the rightful owner. With a clear conscience and an empty head, she rescues her lover, and promises to marry him at the first opportunity.
Moving Picture World, December 22, 1917