midnight
He smiled ruefully as Burton looked him over . `` I venture to say , '' he drawled , `` that there are other things in the world besides the open road . '' Burton smiled . It was midnight when the Prims and their guests arose from the table . Hettie Penning was with them , and everyone present had been sworn to secrecy about her share in the tragedy of the previous night . On the morrow she would return to Payson and no one there the wiser ; but first she had Burton send to the jail for Giova , who was being held as a witness , and Giova promised to come and work for the Pennings . At last Bridge stole a few minutes alone with Abigail , or , to be more strictly a truthful historian , Abigail outgeneraled the others of the company and drew Bridge out upon the veranda .