three
o'clock
Crass and Slyme were both to go to the ` Cave ' to fix the venetian blinds , and Sawkins also was to come to work as usual . The Week before Christmas During the next week Owen painted a sign on the outer wall of one of the workshops at the yard , and he also wrote the name of the firm on three of the handcarts . These and other odd jobs kept him employed a few hours every day , so that he was not actually out of work . One afternoon -- there being nothing to do -- he went home at three o'clock , but almost as soon as he reached the house Bert White came with a coffin-plate which had to be written at once . The lad said he had been instructed to wait for it . Nora gave the boy some tea and bread and butter to eat whilst Owen was doing the coffin-plate , and presently Frankie -- who had been playing out in the street -- made his appearance . The two boys were already known to each other , for Bert had been there several times before -- on errands similar to the present one , or to take lessons on graining and letter-painting from Owen .