six
o'clock
But , as he often boasted , no one could say that `` black was the white of his eye ; '' -- by which he meant to insinuate that he had not been detected in anything dishonest and that he was never too tipsy to do his work . He was a married man and did not keep his wife and children in absolute comfort ; but they lived , and Mr. Nickem in some fashion paid his way . There was another clerk in the office , a very much younger man , named Sundown , and Nickem could not make his proposition to Mr. Masters till Sundown had left the office . Nickem himself had only matured his plans at dinner time and was obliged to be reticent , till at six o'clock Sundown took himself off . Mr. Masters was , at the moment , locking his own desk , when Nickem winked at him to stay . Mr. Masters did stay , and Sundown did at last leave the office . `` You could n't let me leave home for three days ? ''