noon
In the morning he awoke to find his little world hushed in a murky light and with a tingling apprehension of suspense in the atmosphere . High , gray cloud shapes hurried across the zenith to a conference of the storm powers , gathering at the horizon . Weather-wise from long observation , Banneker guessed that the outbreak would come before evening , and that , unless the sullen threat of the sky was deceptive , Manzanita would be shut off from rail communication within twelve hours thereafter . Having two hours ' release at noon , he rode over to the lodge in the forest to return Io 's blanket . He found the girl pensive , and Miss Van Arsdale apparently recovered to the status of her own normal and vigorous self . `` I 've been telling Io , '' said the older woman , `` that , since the rumor is out of her being here , she will almost certainly be found by the reporter . Too many people in the village know that I have a guest . ''