midnight
Then Paul managed his conversation with Mr. Wheatcroft so that any one of the five employees who chose to listen to the apparently careless talk should know that the firm had just made a bid on another important contract . Paul also spoke as though his father and himself would probably go out of town that Saturday night , to remain away till Monday morning . And just before the store was closed for the night , Paul Whittier wound up the eight-day clock that stood in the corner opposite the private safe . Although the Whittiers , father and son , spent Sunday out of town , Paul made an excuse to the friends whom they were visiting , and returned to the city by a midnight train . Thus he was enabled to present himself at the office of the Ramapo Works very early on Monday morning . It was so early , indeed , that no one of the employees had arrived when the son of the senior partner , bag in hand , pushed open the street door and entered the long store , at the far end of which the porter was still tidying up for the day 's work . `` An ' is that you , Mister Paul ? ''