three o'clock
The bank door closed at three o'clock . Many people have an idea that work inside a bank ceases at that hour . That is one of the many delusions cherished respecting the business , one of the harmless delusions . After three o'clock , especially in a city office , the real strain begins . Tellers must balance their cash , and , on salaries varying from $ 600 to $ 1,200 -LRB- often less than the former , but not so often more than the latter -RRB- make good any loss sustained through the day . Every balance is a nervous shock and drains away its share of the clerk 's vitality ; if the chance of personal loss is hidden away in his balance , the strain is that much the worse . In the din that followed closing , Evan thought his head would burst .