nearly nine o'clock
exclaimed Miss Vilda with a grim glance at Samantha , `` I guess she 'd better do the behavin ' . '' So Timothy was shown the way across the fields to Squire Bean 's . Samantha accompanied him to the back gate , where she gave him three doughnuts and a sneaking kiss , watching him out of sight under the pretense of taking the towels and napkins off the grass . It was nearly nine o'clock and quite dark when Timothy stole again to the little gate of the White Farm . The feet that had traveled so courageously over the mile walk to Squire Bean 's had come back again slowly and wearily ; for it is one thing to be shod with the sandals of hope , and quite another to tread upon the leaden soles of disappointment . He leaned upon the white picket gate listening to the chirp of the frogs and looking at the fireflies as they hung their gleaming lamps here and there in the tall grass . Then he crept round to the side door , to implore the kind offices of the mediator before he entered the presence of the judge whom he assumed to be sitting in awful state somewhere in the front part of the house .