noon
Never before could she remember having felt as she did now , with that sharp pain in her head , that buzzing in her ears , and more than all , that peculiar state of mind which she called `` spells , '' and which seemed to hold her now , body and soul . Even when she returned to Maude 's room , and sat down beside her couch , her thoughts were far away , and everything which had ever come to her concerning her babyhood came to her now , crowding upon her so fast that once it seemed to her that the top of her head was lifting , and she put up her hand to hold it in its place . And still she staid on with Maude , although two or three times she arose to go , but something kept her there -- chance , if one chooses to call by that name the something which at times moulds us to its will and influences our whole lives . Something kept her there until the morning was merged into noon and the noon into the middle of the afternoon , and then she could stay no longer . The hour had come when she must go , for the other force which was to be the instrument in changing all her future was astir , and she must go to keep her unconscious appointment with it . Judging from the result , this question might far better have been put to rather than by Peterkin , as he stood puffing , and hot , and indignant in the Tramp House , looking down upon Jerrie , who was sitting upon the wooden bench , with her aching head resting upon a corner of the old table standing against the wall just where it stood that stormy night fifteen years ago , when death claimed the woman beside her , but left her unharmed . After saying good-bye to Maude , Jerrie had walked very slowly through the park , stopping more than once to rest upon the seats scattered here and there , and wondering more and more at the feeling which oppressed her and the terrible pain in her head , which grew constantly worse as she went on .