a quarter to three
He would n't exactly run away ; he felt a morbid wish to watch the thing if he could be apart from it ; but he was going to be apart . He remembered too well the scene at the Finkboner house -- and the smell of tuberoses . Winona had unaccustomed flowers in the parlour now -- not tuberoses , but almost as bad . Until a quarter to three he expertly shuffled and dawdled and evaded . Then Winona took a stand with him . `` Wilbur Cowan , go at once and dress yourself properly ! Do you expect to appear before the Whipples that way ? ''