nine o'clock
Louise had been missing for five days . The Tuesday morning just referred to dawned cold and wintry . A chill wind blew and for a time carried isolated snowflakes whirling here and there . Gradually , as the morning advanced , the flakes became more numerous , until by nine o'clock an old fashioned snowstorm had set in that threatened to last for some time . The frozen ground was soon covered with a thin white mantle and the landscape in city and country seemed especially forbidding . In spite of these adverse conditions Charlie Mershone decided to go out for a walk . He felt much like a prisoner , and his only recreation was in getting out of the hotel for a daily stroll .