Desc: The Cellar of Death: A strong friendship springs up between Dick Thornton and Harry Gideon, two young artists sharing the same studio. Harry takes Dick to his home, where he meets and falls in love with Harry's sister, Sybil. They become engaged. While Harry seeks a gay time Dick works untiringly and becomes a successful artist. Harry receives a call from Foster, a companion, who secretly runs a nightclub, an adjoining opium den, and is head of a gang of thieves. He invites Dick and Harry to join him at cards at the club. Dick declines, but Harry, hoping to recover some of his losses, consents. At the card table he soon loses everything and being physically and mentally fatigued, readily yields to Foster's persuasions to visit the den. There he smokes the deadly drug. As time goes on Harry's visits to the den increase, while those to his home are less frequent. Lady Gideon is anxious to have a painting of Sybil wearing the famous Gideon diamonds, and as Harry seems indifferent. Dick undertakes the task, first having to complete a painting for the Academy, for which he has great difficulty in finding a model. Finally he goes to the club with Harry in search of one. Here he is successful in finding Nanetta, who readily agrees to pose. The picture nears completion and Dick considers himself in a position to commence the painting of Sybil, and an appointment is made. Unknown to Dick his model has fallen in love with him, and when he greets Sybil affectionately Nanetta is insanely jealous and swears revenge. At the conclusion of Sybil's first sitting Nanetta sees Dick locking the Gideon diamonds in a small safe. She informs Foster, who knowing Harry has a key, waits until he is asleep in the opium den. Then he steals the key and robs the safe. Next morning Dick learns of the failure of the bank where his money is deposited, and on going to the safe to count his spare cash is horrified to find the diamonds missing. Dick becomes suspicious of Harry's peculiar actions and follows him, to his astonishment, to the opium den. As soon as the Chinaman has filled the pipes and goes into an adjoining room Dick snatches Harry's pipe and breaks it, telling him of the loss of the family diamonds. This seems to arouse Harry, and he rushes from the room. Dick, attracted by strange voices, stays to listen. Detected by the Chinaman, who summons assistance, he is overpowered and taken into an adjoining room, where he is confronted by Foster and a gang at thieves, among them Nanetta. On the table he sees the Gideon diamonds. His vehement accusations enrage Foster, who orders his men to take him to the underground cellar, where he is bound to a ring in the wall. To his mortification he realizes that as the river outside rises the water enters through a grating. After many hours of suspense and struggle the water begins to trickle through, and gradually increases until Dick is rescued by Nanetta.