Laura Brayton — page 142: what you’re looking at

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

LAURA BRAYTON. 133 fully authorized to perform oe marriage ceremony legally, I suppose?” “Oh, of course!” said the man in black, in a muffling tone, just as two officers of police entered _ and took stations near the door. “What persuasion, in what church do you offi- ciate?” continued the lawyer. “The Universalist,” said the man, in a low tone, looking not at the lawyer but at Laura Brayton, who was eying him closely. “You hear, gentlemen,” said Sharp, addressing the policemen, “this person says he is a minister fully authorized to unite men and women in wed- lock?” 7 The policemen both nodded, and smiled. “Instead of being what he pretends to be,” con- tinued Sharp, “he is an impostor. He is a wretch who has once abducted my lawful ward from my care, and who now, by pretending to marry her to another, was planning to get her out of my care, he — would have managed to frighten the poor devil who stands there, half-drunk, into giving her up. Gentlemen, I give him into your charge under his real name, Eldridge Putnam, and I also bid you arrest that rascal, Nathan Sloth, as an accomplice in his fraud. I will appear at the station-house and enter a formal complaint, as soon as the marriage by a real magistrate is legally concluded.” “The pretense on my part was for an honorable purpose; it was to rescue this poor persecuted girl from a horrible fate!” cried Eldridge Putnam, at once casting off the false hair and beard which formed a part of his disguise. “I am too well known in this city to be charged with any disgrace- | fulact. And if any one is to be arrested let it be (Ele) Eomicbooks