noon
Nat did n't go to the Lockwood lawn fête , and did excuse himself on the plea of being unable to leave the store . I 'm afraid the young man had a faint , fond hope that Josie would be offended ; but his excuse was accepted without remonstrance . And , indeed , it was at that time quite a reasonable one . Tracey had not been added to the staff , although business was booming , and Saturday night is , as everyone who has lived in a Radville knows , the busiest of the week ; all the stores keep open late on Saturday -- some as late as eleven -- and frequently take in half the week 's income between noon and the closing hour . Duncan really could n't be spared ; so it 's probable that Josie cloaked her disappointment and comforted herself with the assurance that her selection of the day had been an error in judgment , of which she would not again be guilty . But the party came off , without fail , and that on a wonderful , still , moonlit night ; and everybody voted it a splendid success . The _ Citizen _ in its next issue recorded the event to the extent of a column and a half of reading matter , called it a social function , and described the gowns of the leading ladies of society present in bewildering phrases .