noon
They were confident that , if they had to row in the old boat , Keyport , at least , would beat them in the race . But when the new watchman opened the boat-House doors early on the morning of the race day he found pinned to the door a paper which bore in scraggly lettering this admonition : '' _ Look under the east float . _ '' He proceeded to do this at once ; and there was the shell , missing for so many anxious days , somewhat scraped by being washed by the current against the timbers underneath the float , but otherwise quite fit for use ! All the girls of Central High did not hear this welcome news until noon , when the schools of Centerport let out for the day . The afternoon was to be given up to the aquatic contests , and troops of boys and girls , as well as grown folks , went to the shore , or crowded the boats that were stationed along the racing course . After all the Lockwood twins did not have to give up the canoe contest . Aunt Dora would not hear of their losing practise ; and she was so much improved that Mr. Lockwood hired an easy carriage and took her to the races that she might see Dora and Dorothy do their best to win both the canoeing and eight-oared trophies .