Sold to Satan

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On New Year's Eve, outcast John Merrill finds himself outside a gay café. He goes to his garret room and declares that he would give his soul for youth and gold. Then appears His Majesty, the Prince of the Nether Regions, who agrees to grant his desires if, in return, Merrill delivers to him one soul each year. Merrill consents, and the bargain is on. Merrill meets banker's daughter Ruth Ashton and falls in love with her. Ruth's brother Archie is weak-willed, but good at heart. A year goes by. Merrill receives a communication from His Majesty, demanding Archie's life. He is in a quandary, but decides to obey. Through Merrill, Archie is found cheating at cards and feels disgraced before the club members. Merrill takes the boy into the next room, but there his manner changes and he advises suicide as the only way out. The boy takes the revolver and His Majesty claims his first victim. Ruth, grieved at her brother's death, postpones the wedding, and Merrill becomes troubled by visions of Archie. The end of the second year comes and His Majesty demands Ashton as the next victim. Ashton's bank is weathering a panic by the assistance of Merrill's promise not to withdraw his funds. But Merrill forgets his promise, and soon there is a run on the bank. Ashton tries in vain to reach Merrill, and finally chooses the same death as his son. His Majesty has claimed the second victim. The memory of the part he played in the death of the two men soon preys on Merrill's mind. He begins to drink. Ruth, although poor now, will not think of marriage. As the end of the third year approaches, he is in a state of collapse. The dreaded letter again falls into his lap. He opens it. On it is the name of Ruth Ashton. Merrill looks up and sees the leering face of His Majesty. He defies him, but His Majesty merely mocks him. Finally Merrill sinks into a chair and now he changes to the old man again in the garret room, where he dies, while His Majesty laughingly claims the soul of his latest plaything.