noon
She was just looking for a clue as to the girl 's whereabouts , but to her disappointment none was given ! Not one word showed the capital letter at its face , that would have marked the name of any place ! Tessie wrote English well enough to make herself understood , and the brief note was almost explosive in its choice of strong phrases . The `` quarter whistle '' blew , announcing to Rose the fact that fifteen minutes of the precious noon hour still remained , and as ten would be ample time for her to reach the mill , in the five extra minutes she might read her letters . Stopping at a little stone wall , which surrounded one of the oldest houses in Franklin , Rose read first the note from Tessie . As she expected , the `` news '' was more a compilation of strong slang than an attempt to impart any real information , and although but a short time removed from the acute influence of `` chewing-gum English , '' Rose had already developed a dislike for the more vulgar of such forms of utterance . She read : `` Hello , kid !