noon
As yet , Dorian had found no traces of the object of his search . He had not asked direct questions about her , but he would have to before he left . There seemed some mystery always just before him . The mail-driver would not be ready to go before noon , so Dorian would have time to get the tree and help the children decorate it . Then he would have to find out all there was to know about Carlia . Surely , she was somewhere in the locality . After breakfast , Dorian found the axe in the wood-shed , and began to make his way through the deep snow up the hill toward a small grove of pine .