noon
Yet she thought they could hardly infringe on Victor Hugo ; perhaps the best title was the simplest `` The History of the Empire Trading Company . '' Everyone would understand that it told the story of John Burkett Ryder 's remarkable career from his earliest beginnings to the present time . She worked feverishly all that evening getting the material into shape , and the following day found her early at her desk . No one disturbed her and she wrote steadily on until noon , Mrs. Ryder only once putting her head in the door to wish her good morning . After luncheon , Shirley decided that the weather was too glorious to remain indoors . Her health must not be jeopardized even to advance the interests of the Colossus , so she put on her hat and left the house to go for a walk . The air smelled sweet to her after being confined so long indoor , and she walked with a more elastic and buoyant step than she had since her return home .