about noon
Carnine ignored Dolan , and Barclay grinned . `` Well , John , '' Carnine hesitated , `` I was just down to see you -- on a little matter of business . '' `` Delighted , sir , delighted , '' exclaimed Dolan , as he rose to go ; `` we were going , anyway -- were n't we , General ? '' The veterans rose , and Colonel Culpepper said as he went , `` I told Molly to call for me here about noon with the buggy -- if she comes , tell her to wait . '' All of life may not be put on the stage , and this scene has to be cut ; for it was at the end of half an hour 's aimless , footless , foolish talk that Gabriel Carnine came to the business in hand . Round and round the bush he beat the devil , before he hit him a whack . Then he said , as if it had just occurred to him , `` We were wondering -- some of the directors -- this morning , if under the circumstances -- oh , say just for the coming six months or such a matter -- it might not be wise to reorganize our board ; freshen it up , do n't you know ; kind of get some new names on it , and drop the old ones -- not permanently , but just to give the other stockholders a show on the board . ''