midnight
Winters said he would go out on that limb and bend it down , about midnight , and Minty Glenwood could be there and climb out on it , and they would go away together quite a distance from Aunt Melissy , and live happy ever after . `` So I told Cousin Minty Glenwood about the plan , and just what to do , and she was as scared as a chicken , but said she would do anything to save the hired man from that awful city life he had mentioned . She said she knew something would happen when she tried to climb out her window , but she would have to do it , as it was the only way to get out without going through Aunt Melissy 's room , which would be much worse . `` Well , that night Winters and I got everything ready , and had all his things packed in a bundle at the foot of the tree , and a little before midnight by the full moon , Winters went up and crawled out on the limb to bend it down , but when he got there it would n't bend far enough to reach Minty Glenwood 's window -- him being a light-weight person , though I 've heard he got fatter later on . He could n't jump on it , for fear of waking up Aunt Melissy , so he came down and said I would have to go out on the limb , and he would stay on the ground with the things , because I was always pretty solid , even in those days . So then I went out and crawled along on that limb , which bent down with me , all right , but did n't quite reach Minty Glenwood 's window , and I could n't see how she was going to get on it unless she jumped , which I never thought she 'd do . -LSB- Illustration : SENT ME SAILING UP INTO THE SKY -RSB- `` But you never can tell what a young person in love _ will _ do .