Laura Brayton — page 44: what you’re looking at

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

LAURA BRAYTON, ~~ 5— 355 room through the gauzy muslin curtains paused, and then approached the window and drew the curtain aside. Louder and clearer, but to a different melody, rose the notes from below, as the face and graceful outlines of the womanly figure were now distinctly seen. That the young man was heard and understood was evident, for a white handkerchief was seen to flutter in the air. | At that instant the iron tongue of a bell rang out a loud alarm in a distant part of the city. It was echoed by another until all over the city clanging peals rolled along the murky night air. Ina few seconds the shouts of firemen through their trumpets followed, then the rushing of many feet and the thundering rattle of engines and hose-carts drawn furiously along. ‘2 The young man could no longer stand there un- observed; the streets, before almost deserted, were now full of men rushing along, and he was literally obliged to drift with the human torrent. On, along West Baltimore street, on into Calvert, on through street after street, keeping pace with an engine and a noble set of young firemen following with a _hose-cart, ran the young man until the density of the throng, as well as the confusion of shouts and cries heard even above the crackling of the flames, told him they were close to the scene of conflagration. Gomicbooks G (0)