noon
MacFarlane had been in favor of the old Maryland home , with Ruth 's grandmother in charge , and the neighbors driving up in mud-encrusted buggies and lumbering coaches , their inmates warmed by roaring fires and roaring welcomes -- fat turkeys , hot waffles , egg-nogg , apple-toddy , and the rest of it . The head of the house of Breen expressed the opinion -LRB- this on the day Jack gave his check for the bonds prior to returning them to Isaac , who would n't take a cent of interest -RRB- that the ceremony should by all means take place in Grace Church , after which everybody would adjourn to his house on the Avenue , where the wedding-breakfast would be served , he being nearest of kin to the groom , and the bride being temporarily without a home of her own -- a proposition which , it is needless to say , Jack declined on the spot , but in terms so courteous and with so grand and distinguished an air that the head of the house of Breen found his wonder increasing at the change that had come over the boy since he shook the dust of the Breen home and office from his feet . The Grande Dame of Geneseo did not agree with any of these makeshifts . There would be no Corklesville wedding if she could help it , with gaping loungers at the church door ; nor would there be any Maryland wedding with a ten-mile ride over rough roads to a draughty country-house , where your back would freeze while your cheeks burned up ; nor yet again any city wedding , with an awning over the sidewalk , a red carpet and squad of police , with Tom , Dick , and Harry inside the church , and Harry , Dick and Tom squeezed into an oak-panelled dining-room at high noon with every gas-jet blazing . And she did not waste many seconds coming to this conclusion . Off went a telegram , after hearing the various propositions , followed by a letter , that might have melted the wires and set fire to the mail-sack , so fervid were the contents . `` Nonsense !