nearly midnight
But how I did long to be close up to that fire ! It was a cold night in early November , and as I lay behind woodsheds , with my teeth wearing themselves out on each other , I felt like an early Christian martyr -- though it was n't cold they suffered from as a rule . As for the Reverend Pubby , he wanted to creep away to the next town and then start for England disguised as a chorus girl , or anything ; but I would n't let him . We sneaked around till nearly midnight and then crept up the alley to the Eta Bita Pie House , wondering if we would ever get warm again . I 've seen some grand transformation scenes , but I never saw anything more impressive than the way the Eta Bita Pie House had been done over in two hours . We always prided ourselves on our house . It cost fifteen thousand dollars , exclusive of the plumber 's little hold-up and the Oriental rugs , and it was full of polished floors and monogram silverware and fancy pottery and framed prints , and other bang-up-to-date incumbrances .