noon
After giving the invalid his breakfast , and arranging him on his couch where he could see the cars pass , Mrs. Preston hurried over to the Everglade School , which was only two blocks west of Stoney Island Avenue . At noon she slipped out , while the other teachers gathered in one of the larger rooms to chat and unroll their luncheons . These were wrapped in little fancy napkins that were carefully shaken and folded to serve for the next day . As the Everglade teachers had dismissed Mrs. Preston from the first as queer , her absence from the noon gossip was rather welcome , though resented . The recess hour gave Mrs. Preston enough time to carry upstairs a cold meal , to take a hasty nibble of food , and to hurry back across the vacant lots before the gong should ring for the afternoon session . At the close of school she returned to the cottage more deliberately , to finish her house work before taking her daily walk . Occasionally she found this work already performed ; Anna Svenson 's robust form would greet her as she entered the cottage , with the apologetic phrase , `` My fingers were restless . ''