nearly seven o'clock
He was no longer conscious of the hated foe beneath his feet ; they trod instead elastic upon the clouds . The sound of someone moving about in the hallway outside , and of trying a door near by , suddenly caught his attention . He stood still and listened with alertness for a surprised instant , then shrugged his shoulders and began moving again . It must be nearly seven o'clock ; although the allotment work had kept the clerks later than usual that day , everybody connected with the offices had certainly gone home . He realized that his nerves had played him a trick in giving that alarmed momentary start -- and smiled almost tenderly as he remembered how notable and even glorious a warrant those nerves had for their unsettled state . They would be all right after a night 's real rest . He would know how to sleep NOW , thank God !