Laura Brayton — page 140: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

~ Ry eye a ay em abate or ep hy es ae Re | k ote SOAS © oe ~ . b- P - i! : re ey : - r 0 Nee oS a> T. ee. ian _. r a c op %: LAURA BRAYTON. 131 “Who, oh, who is it that I cannot see, yet who seems to watch over and befriend me,” asked Laura. “You soon will know. The crisis of your life is at hand. Be firm, be true to yourself and fear not. Clouds, dark and fearful, now enshroud you, but they will vanish. Be firm, be brave!” The voice was instantly hushed, for heavy steps were heard approaching. The oor was again un- locked and thrown open, and Enoch Sharp, accom- panied by Bartram, the latter very evidently under the influence of liquor, entered. “Here is your bride ‘that is to be, Mr. Bartram, try to collect your senses so that you can at least respond in the ceremony!” cried Sharp. “Yes, got somethin’ to take here!” said Bartram, reeling toward the table, “that’ll help to collect my senses!” “Fool! You’ve drunk too much already!” cried Sharp, angrily. And he dashed the bottle ag past the opposite wall. “TJ didn’t think you—you was so cussed. waste- — ful as that, spillin’ good liquor!” stammered the drunken man. “But it is gone—it wasn’t me that did it!” And he sank down on a chair and turned his olassy eyes on Laura “Qo we’re to be mar—married, my dear! Old Sh—harp says so, and I suppose it—it is so. I might look fur—further and fare worse, I s’pose— and so might you, for old Sharp says there’s worse folks than me in the world, and what he—he don’t know isn’t worth knowing. What do you think of the prospects, my dear?” rcomicboo : CO