nearly noon
What do you think of that ? And they say Leander wrote his dad that he thought he was goin ' to like soldierin ' fust-rate , and Mrs. Sarah Mary Babbitt she told Melissa Busteed that her husband 's language when he read that was somethin' sinful . She said she never was more thankful that they had lightnin ' rods on the roof , 'cause such talk as that was enough to fetch down fire from heaven . '' It was nearly noon when Jed , entering the front shop in answer to the bell , found there the couple the sight of which caused his heart to sink . Here they were , the house hunters -- there was no doubt of it in his mind . The man was short and broad and protuberant and pompous . The woman possessed all the last three qualities , besides being tall .