eight o’clock
`` Good Lord ! '' Jim exclaimed . `` I forgot to order the confounded dinner ! '' It was eight o'clock by that time , and as it took an hour at least after telephoning the order , everybody looked blank when they heard . The entire family , except Mr. Harbison , who had not appeared again , escorted Jim to the telephone and hung around hungrily , suggesting new dishes every minute . And then -- he could n't raise Central . It was fifteen minutes before we gave up , and stood staring at one another despairingly .