five o'clock
Well , I knew Mr. Dick had been up to some mischief ; I had suspected it all along . But Miss Patty went to bed , and old Mrs. Hutchins , who 's a sort of lady 's - maid-companion of hers , said she must n't be disturbed . I was pretty nearly sick myself . And when Mr. Sam came out at five o'clock and said he 'd been in the long-distance telephone booth for an hour and had called everybody who had ever known Mr. Dick , and that he had dropped right off the earth , I just about gave up . He had got some detectives , he said , and there was some sort of a story about his having kept right on the train to Salem , Ohio , but if he had they 'd lost the trail there , and anyhow , with the railroad service tied up by the storm there was n't much chance of his getting to Finleyville in time . Luckily Mr. Stitt was in bed with a mustard leaf over his stomach and ice on his head , and did n't know whether it was night or morning . But Thoburn was going around with a watch in his hand , and Mr. Sam was for killing him and burying the body in the snow .