half past nine at
night
Indeed , if it had n't been for the recompensing features , Mary 's enthusiasm would probably have become chilled by experience , and dreams have come to nothing . But now and then she seemed to sense in the factory a gathering impetus of efficient organization , the human gears working smoothly for a time , the whole machine functioning with that beauty of precision which is the dream of every executive . That always helped Mary whenever it happened . And the second thing which kept her going was to see the evidences of prosperity and contentment which the women on the payroll began to show -- their new clothes and shoes -- the hopeful confidence of their smiles -- the frequency with which the furniture dealers ' wagons were seen in the streets around the factory , the sounds of pianos and phonographs in the evening and , better than all , the fact that on pay day at Spencer & Sons , the New Bethel Savings Bank stayed open till half past nine at night -- and did n't stay open for nothing ! `` If things could only keep going like this when the war ends , too , '' breathed Mary one day . '' ... I 'm sure there must be some way ... some way ... '' For the second time in her life -LRB- as you will presently see -RRB- she was like a blind-folded player with arms outstretched , groping for her destiny and missing it by a hair . `` Still , '' she thought , `` when the men come back , I suppose most of the women will have to go .