eight to ten o'clock
`` Who from ? '' `` A young lady , I think . '' He dashed into the dining-room and opened the envelope with clumsy fingers . On a diminutive sheet of note paper , decorated at the top with two laughing gnomes , ran an invitation copied from some older person 's formula : `` Miss Louise Martin requests the pleasure of Mr. John Fletcher 's company at a Halloween party to be given at her home on Saturday , October 31st , from eight to ten o'clock . '' Of course , he accepted . The temptation of a whole evening in the lady 's company was too great . But no sooner had he dropped his reply in the corner mail box than he began to consider the cost .