That Girl of Johnson's — page 142: what you’re looking at

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

THAT GIRL OF JOHNSON’S. pg 131 not at all, though the drawn expression disappeared from around the mouth, and the eyes were clear and level in their gaze. For a moment Dr. Dunwiddie was uncertain whether or not the girl was glad of the news. She gave no sign, and said not a word, but stood grave, and stately, and womanly, with the shadows of the night gathering around her, steal- ing along the bed, across the face of the sleeper, and up and up toward her face. Suddenly they clutched at her throat, tightening their. hold, like iron bands, ever contracting, growing firmer, unyielding; a thousand iron hands were on her, a thous- and elfish voices, shrill, and wild, and weird, filled the corners of the room, the house; filled the darkness, crowd- ing it upon her, till it seemed as though she were suffocat- ing, till it seemed as though she would die. Loud and weird and terrible they were to her, filling her ears, shout- ing of the evil that had come through hatred and malice, and of what would follow upon so evila deed. The hands were tightening their hold, they were struggling one with another for the mastery; a dozen hands were torn from her throat only to be instantly replaced by others stronger and firmer. She caught at them, and struggled, she fought against them, but she dared notcry for help. This that she was suffering no one must know; they would know soon enough—every one. The voices grew wilder about her; they shouted in elfish glee; their words ran in together unmeaningly except. one or two close to her ear, that whispered, with deadly mean- ing: When your father is well enough to prove—to prove—” Then slowly she came out of this babal of noises; they grew fainter and fainter, and died away among the pines; the hands about her throat relaxed. She looked around to see if she were safe; she was dazed, bewildered, but her one thought was that no one must know. Some one spoke to her, and she looked up steadily, crowding down the Eomicboo <S (E(0) m