A short, mild-mannered man, Mr. Twiddle, plays the congas in a nightclub jazz combo; the incessant noise (the horn players point their instruments directly at Twiddle's head) cause him to have nervous tremors, and he leaves in the middle of the act while the rest of the band continues to play.
Later, his psychiatrist Dr. I.M Jittery then tells him he is a "very sick man" suffering from "trombonosis" and recommends a relaxing trip to a quiet, secluded locale to restore his nerves.
Twiddle takes a plane to the Swiss Alps and checks in at the Hush-Hush Lodge, a mountaintop resort hotel which goes to great lengths to maintain absolute silence for its guests extending even to the desk bell, from which a little sign reading "DING!"
A porter (actually a bellboy) escorts Twiddle to his room, communicating entirely with written cards including one reading "CHEAP SKATE!"
Eventually Twiddle's nerves give out; on the verge of a nervous breakdown, he begs the hotel's manager to find a doctor.