one o'clock
During the first three days of Abe Potash 's vacation he had traveled by local train one hundred and twenty miles to Dotyville , and unpacked and packed two trunks under the shrill and captious supervision of Mrs. Potash . Then followed a tiresome journey to Pittsburgh with two changes of cars , and finally , on the morning of the fourth day , at seven-thirty sharp , he accompanied Hyman Margolius to the latter 's place of business . There he took off his coat and helped Hyman and his staff of assistants to pile up and mark for auction a large consignment of clothing . After this , he called off the lot numbers while Hyman checked them in a first draft of a printed catalogue , and at one o'clock , with hands and face all grimy from contact with the ill-dyed satinets of which the clothing was manufactured , he partook of a substantial luncheon at Bleistift 's Restaurant and Lunch-Room . `` Well , Abe , '' Hyman said , `` how do you like the auction business so far as you gone yet ? '' `` It 's a good , live business , Hymie , '' Abe replied ; `` but , the way it works out , it ai n't always on the square . A fellow what wants to do his creditors buys goods in New York , we 'll say , for his business in -- Galveston , we 'll say , and then when he gets the goods he do n't even bother to unpack 'em , Hymie , but ships 'em right away to you .