noon
He passed the time for the most part sitting on the benches in the Plaza reading an old newspaper that he had found under a seat . The sun came out a little ; Vandover found the warmth very grateful . He told himself that he could easily hold out until the next morning . He had forgotten about the time and was surprised when the whistles all over the town began to blow for noon . In an instant Vandover was hungry again . It was all one that he chewed the little pulp of cocoanut rind more vigorously than ever , swallowed great draughts of water at the public fountains ; the little gnawing just between his chest and his stomach began to persist . He got up and began to walk .