noon
and he passed his hand abstractedly over his forehead . `` Ah , I 'll find out . '' He proceeded to draw from his pocket the selfsame memorandum he had consulted in the case of Jim Scroggins . He mumbled over a number of items , and evidently struck the right one at last , for he murmured something about `` catch the noon mail with a letter to the patent office , '' arose , put on his cap , and hurriedly left the place , blissfully wool-gathering as the fact that noon had come and gone several hours since . `` I 'm curious , '' observed Clark , and as Wheels left the place he followed the attendant to the library office , and left Ralph to stroll about alone , while he engaged the former in conversation . In about five minutes Clark came back to Ralph with a curious but satisfied smile on his face . `` Well , I 've got his biography , '' he announced .