twenty-nine minutes past five
A short distance beyond Uncle Ike 's chicken coop they met Abner Stiles driving home from the Centre . He nodded to ` Zekiel , but Quincy did not notice him , being engaged in conversation with Alice at the time . They reached the station , and Quincy gave orders to have the material sent up , so that it would arrive at about half-past nine . ` Zekiel more than kept his promise , for they reached Deacon Mason 's barn at exactly twenty-nine minutes past five . Hiram was on hand to put up the horses , and told Quincy in a whisper that some of the boys thought it was mighty mean not to invite the Pettengill folks and their boarder . The sharp air had whetted the appetites of the travellers during their six-mile ride , and they did full justice to the nicely-cooked food that the Deacon 's wife placed before them . Supper was over at quarter before seven , and in half an hour the dishes were washed and put away and the quartette of young folks adjourned to the parlor .