noon
So he confronted and considered the thing , fascinated by its vistas as once he had been by the shell . If it were true that we cast away our worn bodies and ever reclothe ourselves with new , why should not the right member of Mrs. Jackson 's profession one day unfold to him his beginningless past ? `` The courts havin ' decided , '' continued Breede , in staccato explosions , `` that the ` quipment is nes ` ry part of road , without which road would be tot ` ly crippled , you will note these first moggige ` quipment bonds take pri ` rty over first-moggige bonds , an ' gov 'n y ` sef ` cordingly your ver ' truly -- '' He glanced up at Bean , contracted his brows to a black menace and emitted a final detonation . '' 'S all for 's aft ` noon ! '' He bit savagely into his unlighted cigar and began to rifle through a new sheaf of documents . Bean deftly effaced himself , with a parting glare at the unlighted cigar . It was a feature of Breede that no reporter ever neglected to mention , but Bean thought you might as well chew tobacco and be done with it .