José — page 167: what you’re looking at

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

160 JOSE. CHAPTER XI. SAVED AND SACRIFICED. For some minutes all was silent in the room. Nota word was uttered. Each one present seemed immersed in thought. To Mary, it was like the calm that precedes the storm. Despite a strong mental resolve to appear ‘collected, she could hear her heart throbbing. Finally, the man arose and left the room, followed by the woman. The young girl now drew nearer the fire, and was alarmed to note that it was feed- ing upon but a few small chips of wood which would soon be consumed, and the one candle had been carried away. A long, weary night was before her. Perhaps the wisest course would be to hasten the development of the danger that threatened, while yet the light remained to aid her. Slowly rising, she approached the door. It appeared to be bolted from the inside, but Mary’s efforts to draw it were-in vain. She was not disappointed, it was only what she had expected. For the space of a second, she listened to the sound of the storm, when suddenly a feeling of drowsiness came over her, and she was compelled to resume her seat. How long she remained in this condition she did not know. At length, she felt a choking sensation. A piercing scream escaped her lips! She felt her- self in a vise-like embrace, and a heated breath close to her face. At that moment, loud knocks re- sounded upon the door from without. Eomichooks. co m