noon
It was the biggest crime story that town had known for ten years ; one of the biggest crime stories it had ever known . In the end our waiting all went for nothing . There were no developments at Central Station or elsewhere in the Bullard case , and at Chicago there was no nomination . At nine-thirty a bulletin came over our leased wire saying that Tammany , having been beaten before the Resolutions Committee , was still battling on the floor for its candidate ; so that finally the convention had adjourned until morning , and now the delegates were streaming out of the hall , too tired to cheer and almost too tired to jeer -- all of which was sad news to us , because it meant that , instead of taking a holiday on the Fourth , we must work until noon at least , and very likely until later . Down that way the Fourth was not observed with quite the firecrackery and skyrockety enthusiasm that marked its celebration in most of the states to the north of us ; nevertheless , a day off was a day off and we were deeply disgusted at the turn affairs had taken . It was almost enough to make a fellow feel friendly toward the Republicans . Following the tension there was a snapback ; a feeling of languor and disappointment possessed us .