noon
He was out of town , and was not to come home till six o'clock . It was an awfully hot day . The sun just beat down , and there was n't a breath of air . By noon I was simply crazy with my stuffy , long-sleeved , high-necked blue gingham dress and my great clumpy shoes . It seemed all of a sudden as if I could n't stand it -- not another minute -- not a single minute more -- to be Mary , I mean . And suddenly I determined that for a while , just a little while , I 'd be Marie again . Why could n't I ?