three o'clock
But the device for bringing Aunt Abigail home proved unsuccessful . Peggy put her dinner on the back of the stove to keep warm , and it was still simmering , undisturbed , when the platter and the various serving dishes on the table had been scraped clean , for the loss of appetite of which Claire complained was by no means universal . The work of clearing the table and washing the dishes was usually protracted , for every other minute some one ran out on the porch to see if Aunt Abigail were approaching . By three o'clock a general uneasiness began to make itself evident . `` I believe I 'll go over to the place where those ferns grow , '' Peggy declared . `` Even if she 's forgotten all about her dinner , it ca n't be good for her to go so long without eating . Do n't you want to come with me , Amy ? ''