three o'clock
He knew not the designs of his panther-footed enemies . To his astonishment , Robert Wade was absent the whole last business day of the year from the Western Trading Company 's offices , and this , too , when every pen was busied up to five o'clock . And , the momentous election was to occur in the morning ! He had lingered with his own annual summary until three o'clock , when the dejected face of Somers , the head accountant , had appeared at his office door . `` I have a telegram that Mr. Wade is sick in his bed . I am to take the consolidated accounts up to him to-night . '' And so Randall Clayton handed over his papers without a word .