Laura Brayton — page 71: what you’re looking at

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

62 LAURA BRAYTON. whose hand is sure, courage good, that can be hired to do what you should do?” asked Sharp, after an- other pause. “There’s plenty to be had for money, in this city, who are up to any deed. But they’re not all trusty. Now I know a fellow who would murder his mother for a dollar when he is dry and dead broke, but when he is flush he is as saucy as a king or a duke, and might blab on his best friend, especially when he is ‘lushy.’ ” “Drunk! Why don’t you talk plain English in- stead of using flash terms.” | “Because you understand one full as well as the other.” , | The lawyer scowled angrily, but made no reply. For a time he seemed in deep study. “Who is this man you mean?” he asked, at last. “He is known among ‘cross-men’* as ‘Lobster Joe.’ On the police records his aliases are hard to number. Joe Bargrub is one, Bill Baker another, Ed Brown a third.” “V’ve heard of him. Why do they call him Lobster Joe?” “Because his nose is the shape and the color of the claw of a boiled lobster. It is hooked and red as fire. And his eyes, they set deep under a shaggy pair of eyebrows and burn like orbs of a mad snake in their sockets. When he feels ugly a man must have nerve to meet those eyes without a shudder.” “He has been tried for murder, hasn’t he?” “Yes, but he was too bright to have it proved on him. I know he has put more men out of the way than he has fingers and toes, not to count in three or four women, but I couldn’t fasten him on it.” - ***Cross-men,”’—Thieves, burglars, etc. comicbooks con