nearly noon
Catch the Towncrier as he comes along . They say there 's only one other place in the whole United States that has one . You ca n't afford to miss anything _ this _ quaint . '' It was nearly noon when he came towards the end of the beach . He walked still more slowly here , for many cottages had been opened for summer residents since the last time he passed along , and he knew some of the owners . He noticed that the loft above a boat-house which had once been the studio of a famous painter of marine scenes was again in use . He wondered who had taken it .