6:30
For answer Captain Stewart drew an official-looking document from his blouse pocket and waved it high above the girls ' heads . A series of ecstatic squeals arose from them . Opening the carefully folded paper he read its stereotyped phrasing , all of which is too serious to be herein repeated . Suffice it to say that it secured for Durand Leroux , Second Class Herbert Taylor , Second Class Ralph Wilber , Third Class Jean Paul Nichols , Third Class Gordon Powers , Third Class Douglas Porter , Third Class leave of absence under Captain Neil Stewart 's orders from 6:30 P. M. , December 23rd , to 6 P. M. , December 25th , 19 -- . When the excitement had somewhat subsided , Captain Stewart said : `` Now that I 'm sure of it , I must go ` phone out to Severndale or Jerome and Harrison will be throwing fits . We 'll have to quarter that bunch in the old wing , but Lord bless my soul , I reckon they 'd be willing to go out to the paddock . But mind , you girls , _ not one whisper of it to those boys , until I give the word _ , or it will be the brig for every mother 's daughter of you , '' and with this terrifying threat he strode off down the corridor .