Clara Reeves, a beautiful, inexperienced young girl of good family, is determined to find her sister who has disappeared under mysterious and provocative circumstances. Searching for a clue among her sister's possessions, Clara comes upon an elaborate, sinister-looking onyx ring with an ominous golden scorpion set into its polished face. This evil portent arouses Clara's worst suspicions and fills her heart with dread; but she screws up her courage and embarks upon an adventure which is to radically change the tenor of her sheltered life.
