noon
He asked where Ralph was , and they told him that Ralph was up at the mine . They thought it wiser that he should not know the truth about the boy just yet . He thought to get up and dress himself , but he felt so weak and bruised , and the strong metallic taste in his mouth nauseated him so , that he yielded to the advice of those who were with him and lay down again . He looked up anxiously at the clock , at intervals , and seemed to be impatient for the noon hour to arrive . He thought Ralph would come then to his dinner . He wondered that the boy should go away and leave him for so long a time alone in his illness . The noon hour came , but Ralph did not come .