noon
Then in winter the cove and the river were often crowded with boats , driven to anchorage there by the ice , and to escape the fearful storms sweeping over the bay . The river was more favoured as an anchorage than the cove , because it was more sheltered , and also because there was open water at the foot of the rapids even in the severest winter , and had been so long as anyone could remember . As the morning wore on , Katherine 's mood became even more restless , and she simply yearned for the fresh air and the sunshine . She was usually free to go out-of-doors in the afternoons , because the boys only worked until noon , and then again in the evening , when it was night school , and Katherine did her best with such of the fisher folk as preferred learning to loafing and gambling in Oily Dave 's saloon . Even Miles seemed stupid this morning , for he was usually such a good worker ; while Phil was quite hopeless . Both boys were bitten with the snow mania , and longing to be out-of-doors , in all the exhilarating brilliancy of sunshine , frost , and snow . Noon came at last , books were packed away ; the boys rushed off like mad things , while Katherine went more soberly across the store and entered the living-room , which was sitting-room and kitchen combined .