noon
Just as I was going down , I caught sight of the girl tearing away from a box of garbage on the curb-stone ; and when order having been restored , by which lofty statement I mean to say when your humble servant had regained his equilibrium , I awoke to the fact that she had effectually disappeared , I hurried to that box and succeeded in finding hanging to it a bit of rag easily recognized as a piece of the old calico frock of nameless color which I had been following a moment before . Regarding it as the sole spoils of a very unsatisfactory day 's work , I put it carefully away in my pocket book , where it lay till -- But with all my zeal for compression , I must not anticipate . When I came home that afternoon I found myself unexpectedly involved in a matter that for the remainder of the day at least , prevented me from further attending to the affair I had in hand . The next morning Mr. Blake did not start out as usual , and at noon I received intimation from Fanny that he was preparing to take a journey . Where , she could not inform me , nor when , though she thought it probable he would take an early train . Mrs. Daniels was feeling dreadfully , she informed me ; and the house was like a grave . Greatly excited at this unexpected move on Mr. Blake 's part , I went home and packed my valise with something of the spirit of her who once said , under somewhat different circumstances I allow , `` Whither thou goest I will go . ''