about noon
`` Bill Higgs of the Bird-in-Hand was my father , and my grandf ' ther , and his father ; and has been me sence I come back from the war and took the business in ` 65 . I 'm not commonly to be met out this late . About fifteen minutes earlier is my time for gettin ' back , unless I 'm plannin ' for a jamboree . But to-night I got to settin ' and watchin ' that sunset , and listenin ' to a darned red-winged blackbird , and I guess Mrs. Higgs has decided to expect me somewheres about noon to-morrow or Friday . Say , did Johnnie send you ? `` When he found that John had in a measure been responsible for their journey , he filled with gayety . `` Oh , Johnnie 's a bird ! ''