nearly one o'clock
before
At this juncture the elevator arrived , and as he plunged in he shouted that he would be back before noon . Abe returned to the rear of the loft where a number of rush orders had been arranged for shipment . Under his instruction and supervision the stock boy nailed down the top boards of the packing cases , but in nearly every instance , after the case was strapped and stencilled , they discovered they had left one garment out , and the whole process had to be repeated . Thus it was nearly one o'clock before Abe 's task was concluded , and although he had breakfasted late that morning , when he looked at his watch he became suddenly famished . `` I could starve yet , '' he muttered , `` for all that feller cares . '' He walked up and down the showroom floor in an ecstasy of imaginary hunger , and as he was making the hundredth trip the elevator door opened and Max Linkheimer stepped out . His low-cut waistcoat disclosed that his shirtfront , ordinarily of a glossy white perfection , had fallen victim to a profuse perspiration .