about ten minutes past twelve
`` Then I asked him why he did n't steal a rope if he was too poor to pay for it , and he said he was too poor . He was n't worth more than five thousand dollars in the world , and he 'd given away all he was going to of that . When he got started on that , he ripped and raved the way he did this morning ; hang it , if I did n't begin to think he was out of his mind . Then he went off , about ten minutes past twelve , without his rope . I suppose there were pieces of rope enough around , but I got mad , he acted so darned mean about it , and would n't hunt it up for him , and I 'm glad now I did n't . '' Rachel Blodgett , who had been teetering with eagerness on her thin old ankles , interposing now and then sharp quavers of abortive speech , cut short Robinson 's last words with the impetuosity of her delivered torrent . `` I washed to-day , '' said she .