Seven o'clock
The shades were up and he shielded his light carefully with his cap as he passed rapidly about the room . It began to look very much as though Shaver would spend Christmas at Happy Hill Farm -- a possibility that had not figured in The Hopper 's calculations . Flashing his lamp for a last survey a letter propped against a lamp on the table arrested his eye . He dropped to the floor and crawled into a corner where he turned his light upon the note and read , not without difficulty , the following : -- _ Seven o'clock . _ _ Dear Roger : -- _ I 've just got back from father 's where I spent the last three hours talking over our troubles . I did n't tell you I was going , knowing you would think it foolish , but it seemed best , dear , and I hope you 'll forgive me . And now I find that you 've gone off with Billie , and I 'm guessing that you 've gone to _ your _ father 's to see what you can do .