about two o’clock
In a city where everybody was `` hustling , '' everybody , as they phrased it , `` on the make , '' why should anyone take a second glance at Peter Gudge ? Why should anyone care about the restless soul hidden inside him , or dream that Peter was , in his own obscure way , a sort of genius ? No one did care ; no one did dream . It was about two o'clock of an afternoon in July , and the sun beat down upon the streets of American City . There were crowds upon the streets , and Peter noticed that everywhere were flags and bunting . Once or twice he heard the strains of distant music , and wondered what was `` up . '' Peter had not been reading the newspapers ; all his attention had been taken up by the quarrels of the Smithers faction and the Lunk faction in the First Apostolic Church , otherwise known as the Holy Rollers , and great events that had been happening in the world outside were of no concern to him .