noon
But she began right there to take care of me . She made me take off the overcoat , and wrap myself in the blanket . The dampness went out into the dry straw ; but when drowsiness came upon us , she would not let me take the chance of getting chilled , but made me wrap myself in the robes with her ; and we lay there talking until finally , tired by my labors , I went to sleep with her arms about me , and her lips close to mine ; and when I awoke , she was asleep , and I lay there listening to her soft breathing for hours . We were both hungry when she awoke , and in the total darkness we felt about for the dinner-basket , in which were the dinners of the children of the McConkey family with whom she had boarded , and who had gone home at noon , because the fuel was gone . We ate frozen pie , and frozen boiled eggs , and frozen bread and butter ; and then lay talking and caressing each other for hours . We talked about the poor horses , for which Virginia felt a deep pity , out there in the fierce storm and the awful cold . We talked of the beautiful cutter ; and finally , I explained the way in which I had robbed Gowdy of horses and robes and sleigh , and dog .