nine o'clock
A young man like you , Matt , should n't monkey with these people . They 're a wonderful race and very much misunderstood , and if you do n't start 'em right on the job you 'll always be in trouble . Now , Matt , I 've always done the hiring and firing for the Blue Star Navigation Company , and as a result I 've had blamed little of it to do , considering the size of our fleet ; consequently I 'll just give these two Harps the Double-O . Have Murphy and Reardon at the office at nine o'clock to-morrow morning and I 'll read them the riot act before turning them to . '' Cappy Ricks was at his office at eight-fifty the following morning . At eight-fifty-two Mr. Terence Reardon , plainly uncomfortable in a ready-made blue-serge Sunday suit purchased on the Embarcadero for twenty-five dollars , came into the office . He was wearing a celluloid collar , and a quite noticeable rattle as he shook hands with Cappy Ricks betrayed the fact that he also was wearing celluloid cuffs ; for , notwithstanding the fact that he bathed twice a day , Mr. Reardon 's Hibernian hide contained much of perspiration , coal dust , metal grit and lubricating oil , and such substances can always be washed off celluloid collars and cuffs .