one
o'clock
Happiness came back , planning and dreaming began again . Susan teased Anna and Betsey into wearing white again , when the hot weather came , Billy urged the first of the walks to the beach without Jo , and Anna herself it was who began to extend the old informal invitations to the nearest friends and neighbors for the tea-hour on Saturday . Susan was to have her vacation in August ; Billy was to have at least a week ; Anna had been promised the fortnight of Susan 's freedom , and Jimmy and Betsey could hardly wait for the camping trip they planned to take all together to the little shooting box in the mountains . One August afternoon Susan , arriving home from the office at one o'clock , found Mrs. Carroll waiting to ask her a favor . `` Sue , dear , I 'm right in the middle of my baking , '' Mrs. Carroll said , when Susan was eating a late lunch from the end of the kitchen table , `` and here 's a special delivery letter for Billy , and Billy 's not coming over here to-night ! Phil 's taking Jimmy and Betts to the circus -- they had n't been gone five minutes when this thing came ! '' `` Why a special delivery -- and why here -- and what is it ? ''