noon
`` No , sah ; he done tole me ; I 'd come up to de place pow ` ful ahly dat mawnin ' ` case dere was to be such big doings dat day , an ' I was gwine to de tool-house foh sump ` in , an ' I see mars ' r Walter ridin ' away from de stables pow ' ful fas ' on his hoss - '' `` Do you mean Walter LaGrange ? '' `` Yes , sah ; an ' de coachman he came out an ' I ax ` im whar de young man was gwine dat ahly , an ' he say mars ' r Mainwaring ben killed , an ' mars ' r Walter had to go to town as fas ' as his hoss cud take ` im . '' `` Do you know when he returned ? '' `` He came back , sah , befo ' berry long , an ' den he went away agin and did n't come back till mos ' noon . '' When the old darkey had been dismissed the coachman was recalled . `` What did you mean by stating that you first heard of Mr. Mainwaring 's death from the gardener , when the reverse was the truth ? '' `` I do n't know , '' he replied , carelessly ; `` I s ` pose I got mixed .