six o'clock
The city editor unobtrusively studied Banneker out of placid , inscrutable eyes , soft as a dove 's , while he chatted at large about theaters , politics , the news of the day . Afterward the applicant met the Celtic assistant , Mr. Mallory , who broadly outlined for him the technique of the office . With no further preliminaries Banneker found himself employed at fifteen dollars a week , with Monday for his day off and directions to report on the first of the month . As the day-desk staff was about departing at six o'clock , Mr. Gordon sauntered over to the city desk looking mildly apologetic . `` I practically had to take that young desert antelope on , '' said he . `` Too ingenuous to turn down , '' surmised the city editor . `` Ingenuous !