About nine o'clock
He found quite an interesting paragraph about Mr. Hutchinson and the invention . Little Miss Hutchinson was referred to most flatteringly by the writer , who almost inferred that she was responsible not only for the inventor but for the invention itself . Miss Alicia felt quite proud of knowing so prominent a character , and wondered what it could be like to read about oneself in a newspaper . About nine o'clock he laid his sheet of the Earth down and spoke to her . `` I 'm going to ask you to do me a favor , '' he said . `` I could n't ask it if we were n't alone like this . I know you wo n't mind . ''