noon
The old Squire was not able now to do more than oversee the work and to give me advice from his large experience of the past . One day , late in October , we were in the apple house getting the crop of winter apples ready for market -- Baldwins , Greenings , Blue Pearmains , Russets , Orange Apples , Arctic Reds -- about four hundred barrels of them . We were sorting the apples carefully and putting the `` number ones '' in fresh , new barrels . It was near noon , and grandmother Ruth had come out to say that our midday meal would soon be ready . She remained for a few moments and was counting the barrels we had put up that forenoon , when the doorway darkened behind her , and , looking up , we saw a stranger standing there -- a well-dressed , rather handsome young man with dark hair and dark moustache . He was looking at us inquiringly , smilingly , almost timidly , I thought . `` How do you do ? ''