That Girl of Johnson's — page 183: what you’re looking at

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

172 ‘THAT GIRL OF JOHNSON’S. she failed after all in her planning? There seemed no difference in the friendship between this girl and the son of their host. Perhaps there was an added sadness around the sweet lips and a deeper shadow in the tender eyes, but outwardly everything was as it had been. There might be a faint trace of constraint in their manner toward each other; she half believed there was. And as she could not win Dora from her cousin she could at least make this stupid girl feel some of the bitterness she held in her own heart. That, at least, was worth planning for. She was so deeply buried in these thoughts that she started ner- vously when Mrs. Green called the girls in her soft, low voice. “My dears,” she said, “are you not ready to join us now? We have watched the picture you make until now we wish yourselves. There is room for each of you beside me here on the sofa, or will Dora play something sweet and low to charm away the darkness while Lorie and I sit here to- gether ?” She adopted this soft pet name Dora had given her cousin, and there was a tenderness about it when she ut- tered it that held a sense of rest for the girl hearing it— hearing it from the mother of her friend. Before they could answer her, however, quick steps sounded on the piazza, the outer door was opened, and young Green entered the room where the elder woman sat. The gloaming had darkened the room, but as he entered the faint light from the rising moon fell upon his face. Mrs. Green arose in haste, her face suddenly paling. “Charlie, what is the matter ?” The two girls at the distant window were motionless. The sweeping curtains fell between them and the others. Dora had clasped her hands around her cousin’s arm in sudden terror, her face whitening slowly. Dolores did not move; her eyes were set on the others; for the moment they were forgotten. “Don’t be frightened, mother,” Charlie said, hurriedly, comicbooks oy “ .cO a, APY: ’ St St Pen © = >