noon
It was a mild spring morning , near the close of May . Oscar secured a seat by a window , from which he could see the country they passed through ; while his uncle , to whom the journey was no novelty , seated himself by his side , and was soon absorbed in his morning newspaper . The keen relish with which Oscar set out upon his long ride gradually wore off , and he began to feel weary long before the train reached its destination . It was just noon when they arrived at Portland ; and as it was too late to reach Brookdale that day , Oscar 's uncle concluded to stop there until the next morning . They proceeded to a hotel , where they booked their names , and were shown to a chamber . After dinner , Mr. Preston took Oscar to walk , and showed him some of the most notable places about town . But the latter felt too tired to walk about a great deal , and spent most of the afternoon in the hotel , while his uncle was off attending to some business .