noon
It was the day before Decoration Day and a good deal of time was taken up with practising on the recitations they were going to give at the Decoration Day exercises in the village . Several of the children from each school in the township were to speak pieces in the Town Hall . Betsy was to recite BARBARA FRIETCHIE , her first love in that school , but she droned it over with none of her usual pleasure , her eyes on little ` Lias 's smiling face , so unconscious of its dinginess . At noon time the boys disappeared down toward the swimming-hole . They often took a swim at noon and nobody thought anything about it on that day . The little girls ate their lunch on their rock , mourning over the failure of their plans , and scheming ways to meet the new obstacle . Stashie suggested , `` Could n't your Aunt Abigail invite him up to your house for supper and then give him a bath afterward ? ''