nine o'clock
In short , suppose he was about to be dismissed from his office ? True , it was an office without a name , but it had been a lucrative position . There was a knock upon the door . He flung himself back , looked hastily at his watch and saw that it was barely nine o'clock . Coleman must be anxious , he thought , to keep an appointment in such a hurry , which was a good sign . `` Come in ! '' he shouted , whirling around on his swivel chair to face the door .