noon
whispered Patricia , just before they reached the upper door . `` I could n't , '' was the smiling answer . And Polly went to her seat , still thinking of the pleasure ahead . At noon David lingered behind until the girls were gone , and hurried off in advance of them on the way back , trying to satisfy his conscience with the argument that they would n't want him `` tagging on anyway . '' So the new friends were left for the greater share of the walk quite to themselves , Polly , when not too much interested in tales of the pet broncho back in Silverton , keeping a lookout for David , and wondering where he could possibly be . She even went so far as to wish , away down in her secret heart , that David were going with her on the first visit to her new cousin . Opening from the principal schoolroom was a deep , narrow closet where the working supplies were kept .