Of
course I'm yours--and you are mine, Teunis--ain't you?"
"Then," said I, "just as soon as we get out of here, we'll be married."
It took argument to establish this point, but the jury was with me from
the start; and finally nothing stood between me and a verdict but the
fact that she must finish her term of school. I urged upon her that my
house was nearer the school than was McConkey's, and she could finish it
if she chose. Then she said she didn't believe it would be legal for
Virginia Vandemark to finish a contract signed by Virginia Royall--and
pretty soon I realized that she was making fun of me, and I hugged her
and kissed her until she begged my pardon.
And all the time the storm raged. We finished the food in the dinner
pail, and began wondering how long we had been imprisoned, and how
hungry we ought to be by this time. I was not in the least hungry
myself; but I began to feel panicky for fear Virginia might be starving
to death. She had a watch, of course, as a teacher; but it had run down
long ago, and even if it had not, we could not have lit a match in that
place by which to look at it. Becoming really frightened as the thought
of starvation and death from thirst came oftener and oftener into my
mind, I dug my way to the opening of the burrow, and found it black
night, and the snow still sweeping over the land; but there was hope in
the fact that I could see one or two bright stars overhead. The gale was
abating; and I went back with this word, and a basket of snow in lieu
of water.
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