four o'clock
Everybody forgot to speak about Betty 's going to bed , and even Aunt Mary was in high spirits . It was wonderful how much good a little excitement did for her , and Betty had learned that an effort to be entertaining always brought the pleasant reward of saving Aunt Mary from a miserable , tedious morning or afternoon . When she waked next morning , her first thought was about papa , and her next that Aunt Mary was likely to have a headache after sitting up so late . Betty herself was tired , and felt as if it were the day after the fair ; but when she hurried down to breakfast she found Aunt Barbara alone , and was told that papa had risen at four o'clock , and , as she expressed it to Aunt Mary a little later , stolen his breakfast from Serena and gone down to Riverport on the packet , the tide having served at that early hour . `` I heard a clacketing in the kitchen closet , '' said Serena , `` and I just got my skirt an ' a cape on to me an ' flew down to see what ' t was . I expected somebody was took with fits ; an ' there was y' r father with both his hands full o ' somethin' he 'd collected to stay himself with , an ' he looked 's much o ' a boy 's ever he did , and I so remarked , an ' he told me he was goin ' to Riverport . ` Want a little change , I s ` pose ? '