twelve o'clock
She decided that she would gauge what happened by the length of time John stayed . If he remained only a few minutes it would indicate that there had been a rupture . If he stayed as long as he usually did , the chances were that Eileen 's wit had triumphed as usual . At twelve o'clock Linda laid her pencils in the box , washed the brushes , and went down the back stairs to the ice chest for a glass of milk . The living room was still lighted and Linda thought Eileen 's laugh quite as gay as she ever had heard it . Linda closed her lips very tight and slowly climbed the stairs . When she entered her room she walked up to the mirror and stared at herself in the glass for a long time , and then of herself she asked this question : `` Well , how do you suppose she did it ? ''