eight
o'clock
Mrs. Maynard was almost always on her piazza at this time , and her lovely daughter was almost sure to be at the gate with two or three young fellows lounging about her . This morning , however , not a soul appeared in front of the colonel 's quarters . Guard-mounting at the fort was not held until nine o'clock , contrary to the somewhat general custom at other posts in our scattered army . Colonel Maynard had ideas of his own upon the subject , and it was his theory that everything worked more smoothly if he had finished a leisurely breakfast before beginning office-work of any kind , and neither the colonel nor his family cared to breakfast before eight o'clock . In view of the fact that Mrs. Maynard had borne that name but a very short time and that her knowledge of army life dated only from the month of May , the garrison was disposed to consider her entitled to much latitude of choice in such matters , even while it did say that she was old enough to be above bride-like sentiment . The womenfolk at the fort were of opinion that Mrs. Maynard was fifty . It must be conceded that she was over forty , also that this was her second entry into the bonds of matrimony .