noon
He had owned to drinking a glass of whisky now and then , but declared that it was only for snake bite and did not happen oftener than once in six months or so . Yes , he had often had rattlers in his bed , but not to hurt . This is where he began to inspect the star-fishes , and so turned the conversation safely back to California and himself away from the temptation to revel in fiction . All of which took time , so that Take-Notice came before they quite felt a longing for his presence ; and though the sun shone straight in the cabin door and so proved that it was full noon , there was no fire left in the stove and nothing in sight that was eatable save another ripe olive -- which Andy had politely declined -- and two more almonds and an orange . A stenographer , with a fluffy pompadour that dipped distractingly at one side , and a gold watch suspended around the neck like a locket , and with sleeves that came no farther than the elbow and heels higher than any riding boot Andy ever owned in his life , and with teeth that were very white and showed a glint of gold here and there , and eyes that looked at one with insincere gravity , and fingers with nails that shone -- fingers that pinched red lips together meditatively -- a stenographer who has all these entrancing attributes , Andy discovered , may yet lack those housewifely accomplishments that make a man dream of a little home for two . So far as Andy could see , her knowledge of cookery extended no farther than rolled oat porridge for the two lambs . Take-Notice it was who whittled shavings and started the fire without any comment upon the hour or his appetite ; who went to the spring and brought water , half-filled the enameled teakettle which had large , bare patches where the enamel had been chipped off in the stress of baching , and sliced the bacon and mixed the `` sour-dough '' biscuits .