five minutes past seven
As he started back , beneath the arc light at the corner there suddenly appeared a city messenger boy . He approached Cyrus grinning , and held out an envelope . `` Ordered to give you this , '' he said , `` if you made connections . If you 'd been later than five minutes past seven , I was to keep dark . You 've got seven minutes and a half to spare . Queer orders , but the big railroad boss , Woodbridge , give 'em to me . '' Cyrus made his way back to the car with some self-congratulations that served to brace up the muscles behind his knees .