Laura Brayton — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

LAURA BRAYTON. 93 not think of dying; we may hope you have years of life, perhaps of happiness, before you.” x Not of happiness, even if the thread of life yet holds together,” said Mr. Withers, withasigh. “I am a lonely old man, Mr. Johnson, a lonely old man. Notarelative near enough in kin to care for anything but the property I leave; nota being to love of my own blood. What indeed have I to live for? “More, perhaps, than you are now aware of. You had a dear brother, he had a wife and child.” “Yes. Do you mention them to harrow my feel- ings? Is it not enough for me to think of them as dead?” “We have reason to think that all of them are not dead. Do not start, or get nervous—excitement will only injure you. But I hope it will be my pleasure and satisfaction ere long to bring you face to face with one, perhaps two, of those whom you have mourned as dead.” “Mr. Johnson, do not trifle: with the feelings of an old man trembling before the portals of the tomb.” “Mr. Withers, I know you too well, esteem you too highly, to trifle for an instant with your feel- ings.” “Then it is true! itis true! Yet how can it be? There were proofs that Annie Withers and her child perished in a fearful storm; Sharp showed them tome. My poor brother went wild over them —went we know not whither, and he must be dead or long since he would have sent me some word, some token of his existence, for he knew how Il loved him.” “We have no tidings ee him,” said Mr. John- SS) com. cComicboo