Six
o'clock
Everything seemed pervaded with an atmosphere of expectancy , a tense air of unrest , as though the whole place were holding itself in readiness for a summons . And then it came : the great consummation of the day 's work . From the tower of the fire-hall burst forth the loud peal of the town bell . Six o'clock ! Like the castle of the Sleeping Beauty the town leaped into life . The whistles of the saw-mills down by the lake broke into shrieks of joy . The big steam pipe of Thornton 's foundry responded with a delighted roar .