noon
She is ` most as kind and rides ` most as well . Wonder where she 's goin ' to . Hope she will come soon , '' thought Ben , watching till the last flutter of the blue habit vanished round the corner ; and then he went back to his work with his head full of the promised book , pausing now and then to chink the two silver halves and the new quarter together in his pocket , wondering what he should buy with this vast sum . Bab and Betty meantime had had a most exciting day ; for when they went home at noon they found the pretty lady there , and she had talked to them like an old friend , given them a ride on the little horse , and kissed them both good-by when they went back to school . In the afternoon the lady was gone , the old house all open , and their mother sweeping , airing , in great spirits . So they had a splendid frolic tumbling on feather-beds , beating bits of carpet , opening closets , and racing from garret to cellar like a pair of distracted kittens . Here Ben found them , and was at once overwhelmed with a burst of news which excited him as much as it did them .