Blue Hand · Chapters

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Chapter companions for Blue Hand by Edgar Wallace.

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Chapter 1
I
Mr. Salter, an elderly lawyer, scolds his secretary Jim Steele for ignoring his bell, finding him absorbed in documents about the Danton case. Jim expresses his belief that Lady Mary Danton can be found, and Mr. Salter reluctantly recounts the story: Lady Mary, daughter of the Earl of Plimstock, married millionaire Jonathan Danton unhappily; Danton made a will leaving everything to their infant daughter Dorothy, with the income to his sister Mrs. Groat if Dorothy died, but the child and nurse were lost at sea, and Lady Mary disappeared. Jim insists something is wrong and wishes he were a detective, quoting faith as evidence of things unseen. Their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Digby Groat.
Chapter 2
II
Digby Groat visits the law office of Mr. Salter to examine leases related to the Lakeside property. During the visit, he displays an insolent attitude toward Jim Steele, a war hero and Salter's secretary. Groat discovers Jim's private notebook on the 'Thirteen Gang' and reacts with visible tension, issuing a veiled warning before departing.
Chapter 3
III
Jim Steele meets Eunice Weldon for tea, where she reveals she has accepted a position as secretary to Mrs. Groat, the sister of Jonathan Danton. Jim, who is searching for a missing heiress to prevent Digby Groat from inheriting the Danton millions, is disturbed by this news. Later, in Mr. Salter's office, Jim discovers a private diary entry mentioning 'Madge Benson' and clues about the missing Lady Mary, including references to Holloway Prison and a boat named Saucy Belle. He copies the entry and returns to his flat, where he learns that his neighbor's nurse is named Madge Benson.
Chapter 4
IV
Digby Groat confronts his mother, Jane Groat, about her kleptomania, threatening her with a brain operation. He returns a stolen diamond bracelet to Lady Waltham and orders a search of his mother's room. Eunice Weldon arrives at the Groat house and is given a luxurious room. That night, she is awakened by an intruder who leaves a warning card signed with a blue hand. Fleeing in terror, she hears a scream from behind a padded door and escapes the house, only to find Jim Steele sitting on the front steps.
Chapter 5
V
Jim Steele encounters Eunice Weldon fleeing Digby Groat's house in terror. Digby confronts them, and Eunice explains she heard a cry from his laboratory. Digby claims he was removing glass from his dog's paw, but Jim discovers the dog is a stray and Digby intends to vivisect it without anaesthetic. Jim forces Digby to release the dog, and they later find the front door open, suggesting the intruder has left.

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