seven o'clock in the morning
demanded Ralph , coolly . Abner turned pale , and realized that his best course was to keep quiet about an affair which might seriously compromise himself . Herbert stopped overnight at Columbus . The first train eastward left Columbus at seven o'clock in the morning . It was Herbert 's intention to take this train , but unfortunately , as he thought at the time , the clock at the hotel by which his movements were guided was ten minutes too slow . The consequence was , that before he had quite reached the depot he saw the cars going out at the other end . He ran as fast as possible , hoping still to make up for lost time , but it was in vain .