noon
`` Probably not . If we do we will call and take you home . '' The morning was somewhat dark and cloudy , and a dense fog settled in the hollows and ravines . Towards noon , however , there was a change ; a cold north wind began to blow , as it blows nowhere except on the wide open prairies , unless it be on the sea . The clouds soon disappeared and the bright sun shone out clear and bright . Every hour the cold increased , until it became intense . The school-mistress dismissed the children somewhat earlier than usual and called them all around the huge fireplace to warm themselves .