So, with small food and much of Homer and the accordion, a week I inssed over the heads of the outcasts. The sun again forsook them, and lignin from leaden skies the snowflakes were sifted over the land. Dailey day closer around them drew the snowy circle, until at last they limited from their prison over drifted walls of dazzling white, that lowered twenty feet above their heads.
It became more and more difficult to replenish their fires, even from the fallen trees beside them, mow half hidden in the drifts. And yet no one complained. The lovers Huned from the dreary prospect and looked into each other`s eyes, and happy. Mr. Oakhurst settled himself coolly to the losing game tie lore him. The Duchess, more cheerful than she had been, assumed l lie care of Piney. Only Mother Shipton once the strongest of the in seemed to sicken and fade.
At midnight on the tenth day she tilled Oakhurst to her side. “I`m going,” she said, in a voice of querulous weakness, “but don`t say anything about it. Don`t waken the kids. Take the bundle from under my head, and open it.” Mr. Oak- liur.it did so. It contained Mother Shipton`s rations for the last week, untouched. “Give them to the child,” she said, pointing to the sleeping Liucy. “You`ve starved yourself,” said the gambler. “That`s what Liry call it,” said the woman querulously, as she lay down again, and, turning her face to the wall, passed quietly away.
Mother Shipton
The accordion and the bones were put aside that day, and Homer was forgotten. When the body of Mother Shipton had been committed to the snow, Mr. Oakhurst took the Innocent aside, and showed him a pair of snow-shoes, which he had fashioned from the old pack-saddle.
“There`s one chance in a hundred to save her yet,” he said, pointing In Liney; “but it`s there,” he added, pointing toward Poker Flat. “If you can reach there in two days, she`s safe.” “And you?” asked Tom Simson. “I`ll stay here,” was the curt reply.
The lovers parted with a long embrace. “You are not going, too?” the Duchess, as she saw Mr. Oakhurst apparently waiting to acumen him. “As far as the canon,” he replied. He turned suddenly mid kissed the Duchess, leaving her pallid face aflame, and her trembling limbs rigid with amazement.
Night came, but not Mr. Oakhurst. It brought the storm again and Lie whirling snow. Then the Duchess, feeding the fire, found that some one had quietly piled beside the hut enough fuel to last a few days longer. The tears rose to her eyes, but she hid them from Piney.
The women slept but little. In the morning, looking into each other`s faces, they read their fate. Neither spoke, but Piney, accepting the position of the stronger, drew near and placed her arm around the, Duchess`s waist. They kept this attitude for the rest of the day. That night the storm reached its greatest fury, and, rending asunder the j protecting vines, invaded the very hut.
Broke Silence
Toward morning they found themselves unable to feed there, which gradually died away. As the embers slowly blackened, the Duchess crept closer to Piney, and broke the silence of many hours. “Piney, can you pray?” “No, dear,” said Piney simply. The Duchess, without knowing exactly why, felt relieved, and, putting her head upon Piney`s shoulder, spoke no more. And so reclining, the younger and purer pillowing the head of her soiled sister upon her virgin breast, they fell asleep.
The wind lulled as if it feared to waken them. Feathery drifts at snow, shaken from the long pine boughs, flew like white winged birds, and settled about them as they slept. The moon through the rifted clouds looked down upon what had been the camp. But all human stain, all trace of earthly travail, was hidden beneath the spotless mantle mercifully flung from above.
They slept all that day and the next, nor did they waken when voices and footsteps broke the silence of the camp. And when pitying fingers brushed the snow from their wan faces, you could scarcely have told from the equal peace that dwelt upon them which was she that had sinned. Even the law of Poker Flat recognized this, and turned away, leaving them still locked in each other`s arms.
But at the head of the gulch, on one of the largest pine trees, they found the deuce of clubs pinned to the bark with a bowie-knife. It bore the following, written in pencil in a firm hand.
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