noon
`` No , '' said Mr. Clarke , sharply , `` I 'll attend to that . '' Other letters followed , and she was soon taking them with considerable speed . When mistakes occurred they could usually be attributed to the graded school which , during its brief chance at Nance , had been more concerned in teaching her the names and the lengths of the rivers of South America than in teaching her spelling . At the noon hour Mr. Clarke departed , and she stood by the window eating her lunch and watching the men at work on the new wing . The old finishing room was a thing of the past , and Dan 's dream of a light , well-ventilated workroom for the girls was already taking definite form . She could see him now in the yard below , a blue-print in his hand , explaining to a group of workmen some detail of the new building . One old glass-blower , peering at the plan through heavy , steel-rimmed spectacles , had his arm across Dan 's shoulder .