noon
`` Whar 's Chester ? '' said Lem Hallowell . Joe pulled a long face . `` Just come from his house , and he hai n't done a lick of work sence noon time . Jest sets in a corner -- wo n't talk , wo n't eat -- jest sets thar . '' Lem sat down on the counter and laughed until he was forced to brush the tears from his cheeks at the idea of Chester Perkins being Jethro 's candidate . Where was reform now ?