noon
If at any time in the day that figure should be changed to read `` 53 5/8 '' -- then every dollar of Montague 's sixty thousand would be gone for ever ! The great fee that he had worked so hard for and rejoiced so greatly over -- that would be all gone , and a slice out of his inheritance besides ! A boy put into his hand a little four-page paper -- one of the countless news-sheets which different houses and interests distributed free for advertising or other purposes ; and a heading `` Transcontinental '' caught his eye , among the paragraphs in the Day 's Events . He read : `` The directors ' meeting of the Transcontinental R.R. will be held at noon . It is confidently predicted that the quarterly dividend will be passed , as it has been for the last three quarters . There is great dissatisfaction among the stock-holders . The stock has been decidedly weak , with no apparent inside support ; it fell off three points just before closing yesterday , upon the news of further proceedings by Western state officials , and widely credited rumours of dissensions among the directors , with renewed opposition to the control of the Hopkins interests . ''