noon
He paused for a few seconds and then went on , `` But she 's forgotten them -- that 's the way of women . '' His eyes danced merrily as he continued , while he scratched his head : `` But with us men -- it 's different . We never forget . '' He chuckled a moment , and then his face changed as he said , `` Neal , I wish you 'd go into the mail room and see if the noon mail has anything in it from that damn scoundrel who 's trying to start a cracker factory in St. Louis -- I hate to bother to smash him right now when we 're so busy . '' But it so happened that the damn scoundrel thought better of his intention and took fifty thousand for his first thought , and Neal Ward , being one of the component parts of an engaged couple , went ahead being sensible about it . All engaged couples , of course , resolve to be sensible about it . And for two years and a half -- during nineteen one and two and part of nineteen three -- Jeanette Barclay and Neal Ward had tried earnestly and succeeded admirably -LRB- they believed -RRB- in being exceedingly sensible about everything .