midnight
John Armitage , Lieutenant U. S. N. , followed the porter into the rear car of the midnight express for Boston , and after seeing his bag deposited under a lower berth , stood for a minute in frowning indecision . A half-hour must elapse before the train started . He was not a bit sleepy ; he had , in fact , dozed most of the way from Washington , and the idea of threshing about in the hot berth was not agreeable . Finally , he took a short thick pipe from his pocket , and picking his way gingerly between the funereal swaying curtains and protruding shoes , he went outside to talk to the porter .