noon
But after a glance at Keith 's apparently absorbed face , she turned and went back to her work in the kitchen . Twice during the next ten minutes , however , she invented an excuse to pass again through the living-room , where Keith sat . Yet , though she said a pointed something each time about John McGuire on the back porch , Keith did not respond save with an indifferent word or two . And , greatly to her indignation , he was still sitting in his chair with his book when at noon John McGuire , on the porch across the back yard , rose from his seat and went into the house . Susan was still more indignant when , the next morning , the same programme was repeated -- except for the fact that Susan 's reminders of John McGuire 's presence on the back porch were even more pointed than they had been on the day before . Again the third morning it was the same . Susan resolved then to speak .