nearly four o'clock
The men had responded even better than he anticipated , and the whole thing could not help being a great benefit to them . He took up the routine of his work with a glow of satisfaction . After all , he wanted to do as Jesus would , he said to himself . It was nearly four o'clock when he opened one of the company 's long envelopes which he supposed contained orders for the purchasing of stores . He ran over the first page of typewritten matter in his usual quick , business-like manner , before he saw that what he was reading was not intended for his office but for the superintendent of the freight department . He turned over a page mechanically , not meaning to read what was not addressed to him , but before he knew it , he was in possession of evidence which conclusively proved that the company was engaged in a systematic violation of the Interstate Commerce Laws of the United States . It was as distinct and unequivocal a breaking of law as if a private citizen should enter a house and rob the inmates .