noon
As she got out at the door of the little faded house and paid the driver , it occurred to her that she had left it unlocked during her absence , and in her remorse over this and the bustle of going to the strange dining-room for luncheon , whither she was summoned by a slatternly waitress , she forgot completely that on this day she had sworn to stay alone in her room , to conceal from strangers her malady of melancholy dumbness . `` But I 'm _ not _ that way -- I 'm _ not _ ! '' she whispered to herself in amazement , `` why , I talked to the clerks all the morning ! '' And so she had , and none of the dozen at Mrs. Palmer 's table that noon remarked anything further than that Miss Merry seemed a quiet , shy sort of person with a tendency to vagueness and little idea of passing the butter dish . She sorted and arranged her purchases all the afternoon ; the little roll of chamois-skin she kept carefully in the wrist-bag which never left her arm . At dinner Mrs. Palmer took her aside and with the touch on her arm Miss Mary 's blood turned to water . `` She knows about me ! ''