noon
Satan had `` jined de club '' -- the big club -- and no dog was too lowly in Satan 's eyes for admission ; for no priest ever preached the brotherhood of man better than Satan lived it -- both with man and dog . And thus he lived it that Christmas night -- to his sorrow . Christmas Eve had been gloomy -- the gloomiest of Satan 's life . Uncle Carey had gone to a neighboring town at noon . Satan had followed him down to the station , and when the train departed , Uncle Carey had ordered him to go home . Satan took his time about going home , not knowing it was Christmas Eve . He found strange things happening to dogs that day .