Ethel is an expert swimmer, and on reading in the paper the rumor that a mermaid has made several appearances in the water of the Atlantic, he decides to have his daughter pose as the mysterious lady of the sea.
With Ethel clad in appropriate costume, and seated upon the rocks in true mermaid fashion, her father persuades the reporter of the local paper to take a look at the phenomenon.
Tom, Dick and Harry, a trio of city sports, jump into bathing suits and the water, each bent on capturing the mermaid.
She eludes them all, however, and the mystery is not cleared up until Ethel, in a pre-tailored suit, presents herself to the guests and explains the joke.
Blair Smith was the first cameraman of the Thanhouser company, but he was soon joined by Carl Louis Gregory who had years of experience as a still and motion picture photographer.
[3] The Moving Picture World announced that the film would feature Heming and Crane, but Bowers also credits the "Thanhouser Kid" Marie Eline in an unknown role.
By this time, Eline had proven herself capable of handling male characters, with the first such credit as a young Italian boy in The Two Roses.
A more minor error in the operation of the hotel was given by the office boy who handled the arriving guests with remarkable speed.