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The Iron Grip
by Edgar Wallace
1929
CONTENTS
1. THE MAN FROM 'DOWN UNDER'
2. THE WILFUL MISS COLEBROOK
3. THE TYRANT OF THE HOUSE
4. THE KIDNAPPED TYPIST
5. THE VLAKFONTAIN DIAMOND
6. A QUESTION OF HOURS
7. THE STRANGE CASE OF ANITA BRADE
8. THE DISAPPEARING LADY
9. THE CASE OF AN HEIRESS
10. THE BEAUTIFUL MISS M'GREGGOR
CHAPTER I
- THE MAN FROM 'DOWN UNDER'
Captain Jack Bryce, inscribed in the family records as John Richard Plantagenet, but better known amongst his intimate friends as Wireless Bryce, had dropped his army title, for he had discovered that it prejudiced rather than helped his chance of securing employment. It was as plain Mr. Bryce that he was ushered into the private office of Hemmer & Hemmer, and Mr. James Hemmer, the senior partner of that eminent firm of lawyers, received him. James Hemmer was an elderly man with dark, shrewd eyes, who surveyed his visitor with a brief but searching scrutiny, and seemed to Jack to be classifying him for future reference.
"Sit down, Mr. Bryce," said the lawyer, taking up the card again. "You called in reference to employment, I believe?"
"Yes, sir," said Jack.
"You are not a lawyer, of course?"
Jack shook his head. "No, sir. I am going to be perfectly frank with you. I have tried throughout the city for the past two months to get employment, but without success. I'm not suggesting that people turn me down because I'm a demobilized officer, but I do say that work is much harder to get than I ever dreamt would be the case before I left t