about four o'clock
It was harvest time and mid-day trade was quiet , so of course Mr. Brooks found abundant opportunity to do business without being jostled about by applicants for tobacco and tanglefoot for medical purposes . His prices were the most reasonable of any agent who had called since the war ; but that was explained by the fact that this house always surprised its customers with good goods and low prices , and this was Mr. Brook 's first trip through that section , and his first visit to Alvin . As a result he remained three hours , sold two dozen boxes of Perfectos , four dozen Pappooses , a whole case of Lawrence 's Prides , and went to dinner with the postmaster . When he reached Danville about four o'clock that afternoon , where he was to report to Henshaw and myself , he was radiant with the enthusiasm of well earned success . He had studied the Alvin postmaster as thoroughly as he did the ten commandments when a child ; was present when the Wabash mail arrived and saw the postmaster distribute it alone for the Eastern Illinois going north ; sold him a fine bill of goods , which was not to be delivered on account of the pressing business of the house for two weeks ; saw the postmaster lock up the office and went to dinner with him , after which he returned to the office and saw the postmaster endorse the registers and lock out the mail for the Eastern Illinois , north ; and everything had been done by the postmaster exactly as a thoroughly honest , upright , conscientious postmaster would do it . There had not been the first false motion , word or suspicious circumstance , and he would wager his entire lot of samples that the postmaster was one of God 's noblest works -- an honest man . He admitted , however , that the facts of the losses were stubborn and that the circumstances were peculiar , and , having now a good knowledge of all the conditions he thought the tests should be applied .