Laura Brayton — page 184: what you’re looking at

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

LAURA BRAYTON. 175 pecuniary recompense. But money can never weigh down the scale against gratitude. To you, good captain, for all you have done, and in what you are now doing, to allow your dear child to watch over me till I can get to the home I have striven to reach, I feel Iowe a debt which neither words nor gifts © can ever pay.” “Tut, tut! Avast all such talk, sir! We are only following out the good old rule to do as we’d be done by,” said the old captain. “Liddy likes to be ~ doin’ good. It’s a second natur’ to her. She’s just as her mother used to be. I’d been a miserable, — good-for-nothin’ old drunkard if it hadn’t been for her mother. And now that she has gone above into Heaven’s snug harbor, Liddy takes her place in keeping me right side up with care and strong from the tempting habits which have stranded many a one as strong as me, who hadn’t the same help to — haul off from the quicksands of danger.” “Rather makes too much of me,” said the daugh- — ter, with asmile. “He is naturally so good-hearted that he thinks allI do is perfect. But, sir, I hear the cart at the door. It is not an easy way of riding, but till we get away from the sands we can get no other conveyance. Good-by, dear father, for a little while. I will return just as soon as I can, and hope to find you.as well as now.” “Good-by, Liddy, good-by, my gal. ’Twould be hard to see you go if I didn’t know ’twas your duty‘ and that you would soon be back, by the blessing of our Father.” | And the old captain pressed his daughter to his - brawny breast and kissed her, while his lips quiv- ered and his eyes glistened with moisture in spite of his effort to conceal feelings so Intense, Ecomicbooks com