midnight
To which anathema Nattie turned up her nose scornfully , and made no reply . The nervous dread of his `` calling , '' that was upon her all day , caused her to make more blunders than she had ever done in all her telegraphic career . She gave wrong change continually , numbered her messages incorrectly , and `` broke '' so much that the operator who sent to her had a headache with ill-humor . Usually very quick at deciphering the illegible scrawls often handed her for transmission , she to-day was frowned at for her stupidity in making them out ; and one lady to whom a message was sent through poor Nattie 's office , was much exercised on receiving it , to learn over an unknown gentleman 's signature , that he would be with her at midnight . He really was her husband , but Nattie had transmitted the name the writing looked most like , which was one very remote from the real one . All these mistakes she laid at `` C 's '' door , and grew more disgusted with him , accordingly , especially when she counted her cash , and found herself a dollar short . She managed , however , by frequent excuses , to get along without holding any conversation with him until the latter part of the afternoon , when , the wire not being in use , and business slacking up , he called persistently , savagely , and entreatingly -- all of which phases can be expressed in dots and dashes -- interspersing the call with such expressions as , `` Please answer , N !