half past seven
Skippy , as has been observed , was at the period when the imagination is not confined by tradition . In desperation he resorted to the washbasin and with the aid of a brush , triumphantly banished the damned spot . Then having wrung the limp mass , he spread the tie carefully against the window pane and covering it with a handkerchief , laboriously ironed it out with a shoe . Just as the clock struck half past seven , Mr. John C. Bedelle descended the last stairs and greeted a critical world . Beads of perspiration stood on his forehead , his spine seemed made of rubber , his knees shook and his restless , chilly hands loomed before him , homeless and lost ; but he was safe at last in all the intricacies of a dress suit -- a man of fashion among men of the world ! Snorky was standing miserably by the fireplace , his large peppermint ears flanking a heated face , as he defiantly faced the family hilarity . Then Skippy 's superb aplomb failed him .