Twelve o'clock
A young girl , coming through the ward , had an armful of flowers , -- white lilies , citron aloes , mignonette , and phlox -- She gave her posies to all who stretched out a hand , and went out with her smiling face . Allan held a great stalk of garden phlox , white and sweet . It carried him back to the tollgate and to the log schoolhouse by Thunder Run ... . Twelve o'clock . Was not Christianna coming at all ? This was not Judith Cary 's ward , but now she entered it . Allan , watching the narrow path between the wounded , saw her coming from the far door .