noon
`` Why , my heavens ! It 's twelve o'clock ! '' she announced amazedly , throwing down her pen , and stretching in her chair . And , in instant confirmation of the fact , a whistle sounded shrilly outside , followed by a dozen more whistles , high and low , constant and intermittent , sharp on the silent noon air . The girls all jumped up , except Miss Wrenn , who liked to assume that the noon hour meant nothing to her , and who often finished a bill or two after the hour struck . But among the others , ledgers were slammed shut , desk drawers jerked open , lights snapped out . Miss Thornton had disappeared ten minutes before in the direction of the lunch-room ; now all the others followed , yawning , cramped , talkative .