Laura Brayton — page 68: what you’re looking at

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

LAURA BRAYTON. 59 the coin the drunken gambler always has left for home, when he has lost his gold and silver else- where. Laura Brayton must have her share of these!” And the ‘wretch laughed hoarsely, as if the thought of her misery was exquisite pleasure to him. Bartram looked at him with an expression of in- finite disgust. “You called me a_ beast just now,” said he.. “What are you, Enoch Sharp, what are you?” “Only a devil, poor fool; only a devil!” cried the wretch, with a chilling laugh. “I doubt if Beelze- bub has my equal in his ranks below, or in his servants above. And I have power, gold, influence —men bow to me, obey me, limping wretch that nature has left me. J hate beauty, and I trample it under my crooked feet. I hate—well, sir, what do you want staring in here without knocking like an idiot, which you are?” The last words were addressed to Nathan Sloth, who plunged into the room with his face red with heat and dripping with perspiration, while’ his labored breathing told that he had run himself almvust out of breath. “The man with the scar—is—is,” gasped Nathan, “¢ig——” “Where? Have you seen eae fool? Speak, or | I’ll throttle you!” cried the excited lawyer. “T will—as—soon as I can get breath. I’veruna mile so hard people cried stop thief, and they couldn’t stop me, to tell you he has BORE into Lawyer Johnson’s office.” “What, the office of the great Johnson?” “Ves, sir. He is there now. He went in there EN a ~*comicboo cS (Efe)