three o'clock
Bert answered that he had not . `` Then , '' said Dr. Johnston , sternly , `` you must remain in after school until your composition is written . '' Bert was a good deal troubled by this unexpected penalty , but there was of course no appeal from the master 's decision . The school hours passed , three o'clock came , and all the scholars save those who were kept in for various shortcomings went joyfully off to their play , leaving the big , bare , dreary room to the doctor and his prisoners . Then one by one , as they met the conditions of their sentence , or made up their deficiencies in work , they slipped quietly away , and ere the old yellow-faced clock solemnly struck the hour of four , Bert was alone with the grim and silent master . He had not been idle during that hour . He had made more than one attempt to prepare some sort of a composition , but both ideas and words utterly failed him .