nine o'clock
`` He are a-setting on his bench under the tree right by her window , like he always did to listen for her , and every child in the Road is a-huddled up against him like a forlorn lot of little motherless chickens . He have got little Bettie and Martin Luther on his knees and the rest are just crowded up all around him . He do n't seem to notice any of the rest of us , but looks to ` Liza for everything . She got him to go to bed at nine o'clock and when Buck and Mr. Petway went to set up for the night they found she 'd done made ` Lias and Henny and Bud all lie down by him , one on each side and Bud acrost the foot . He wanted 'em to stay and the men let 'em do it . Judy says she were up by daylight and gone down the Road to see about his breakfast and things . And now she are just a-standing by him waiting for the bell to toll for the funeral .