Old Joe Gregory hates both his nephews and loves his young ward, Esther. Of the two boys, Rick is the more detested, because Rick and Esther are sweethearts and Gregory is jealous of him. The second brother, Jim, is a weak character, a spendthrift and indulges in gambling. Jim asks Rick for a loan. Rick has repeatedly helped Jim out of holes, and this time refuses to do more. Jim, desperate on account of an impending note, decides that he will appeal to Uncle Joe Gregory. The two brothers occupy adjoining rooms. Rick is asleep in bed, when Jim asks Gregory to come to his room a moment. Reaching Jim’s room, the two men talk. Jim begs in vain for a loan from Uncle Joe. The old man denounces him as a spendthrift. A bitter quarrel follows. Jim goaded by the old man’s taunts, grapples with him, demanding the loan. Gregory, in a high rage, whips out a revolver and shoots him. Jim staggers and falls over a chair, his head hanging down one side, and his legs the other. The old fellow creeps out, keeping his eyes fastened on the horrible sight, fascinated. Rick is awakened by the shot and springing from bed, rushes into Jim’s room. Reaching the side of his brother, he half lifts the limp body, then gently lowers it, and picks the revolver up from the floor. Standing thus over his brother, revolver in hand, he is surprised by Gregory and the servants who burst into the room. Immediately, Gregory points to Rick as the murderer. Evidence is black against Rick. Although stoutly declaring his innocence, an officer is announced and he is placed under arrest. Gregory now begins to chuckle. The two brothers are disposed of and the coast is clear. He continues his attentions to brokenhearted Esther, and tells her be will spend a large sum to try and clear Rick, if in return Esther will promise to marry him, Esther, harried thus, consents. However, old Gregory feels pretty sure that Rick is doomed. But Nemesis is on Gregory’s trail. The old man discovers that whenever he is alone, a shadow pursues him (not a vision), but a shadow, black and awful, which springs upon the wall and the shadow is Jim’s limp figure over the chair. Gregory at first believes the shadow is caused by objects about the room, cast by the firelight on the wall. In moving everything he discovers the shadow remains fixed, and he becomes gradually palsied with fear. This terror grows upon him until he takes to his bed and suspicion turns to him. Yet he will not confess, although Esther and, in fact all, are convinced of his guilt. At last Gregory dies, and as he dies, the shadow appears to all present only now, instead of the figure of Jim across the chair alone, two figures are seen, Jim and old Gregory, who has just shot him. Rick is thereby cleared.