twelve o'clock, noon
Wo n't you ever understand that society must draw the line somewhere ? '' Mrs. Symes pondered this new thought a long time . When the invitations were out and the news of the dinner spread it became the chief topic of conversation . The fact that the dinner was at seven instead of twelve o'clock , noon , occasioned much hilarity among the uninvited while the invited guests were more than delighted at the fashionable hour . A tinge of acerbity was noticeable in the comments of those who were unaccustomed to the sensation of being excluded , among them Mrs. Abe Tutts , whose quick recognition of slights led one to believe she had received a great many of them . Mrs. Tutts , who was personally distasteful to Mr. Symes , went so far as to inquire belligerently of Mrs. Symes why she had not been invited . `` I do n't know , '' stammered Mrs. Symes who was still truthful rather than tactful , `` but I 'll ask Phidias . ''