Laura Brayton — page 206: what you’re looking at

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

‘LAURA BRAYTON. | 197 arouse Mr. Withers to my fears? If no danger ap- peared, it would be wrong and childish, but if evil happened, and I had neglected to warn him while my soul was full of dread, I should never forgive myself. She had not undressed, and now she arose and cau- © tiously went tothe door of her room. She knew that directly at the foot of the first flight of stairs was the door of his room. A few steps would take her to it. Perhaps he had not retired. She would oo as far as the door and listen. If he was yet up she would hear him moving. Then, making some excuse, she could enter and tell him what fearful impressions were weighing on her mind. Thus reflecting, she went down the stairs and paused at the door of the chamber into which Sharp had conducted Mr. Withers. It was ajar; she pushed it slightly open; a lamp was burning within, but the heavy breathing of Mr. Withers told that he was asleep. She saw the bed, one of those old-fashioned structures, with four lofty posts and curtained from the ceiling to the floor. Hark! She heard the creaking of a door below— some one was approaching in that direction. She could not ascend the stairs unseen. Quick as thought she entered the room, closed the door as it had been, and sprang behind the curtains at the head of the bed. — She stood there but an instant, trembling, when the door by which she had entered was pushed open * and Enoch Sharp limped in, his face flushed with ~ liquor, his eyes wild and fierce, a lamp in one hand, | a razor in the other. His intentions were but too evident, as noiselessly comicbooks co