about midnight
He might go to the city , he said , to his folks , who had disowned him because he had been quite wild , but very likely would take him back now that he had reformed and was ready to be tamed by a nice little person like Minty Glenwood . He and Minty would have to elope , of course , and he told me to tell her just what to do , because I could get to see her alone , which he could n't . There was a little sapling grew near the tree , and one of its limbs stuck out above her window . Winters said he would go out on that limb and bend it down , about midnight , and Minty Glenwood could be there and climb out on it , and they would go away together quite a distance from Aunt Melissy , and live happy ever after . `` So I told Cousin Minty Glenwood about the plan , and just what to do , and she was as scared as a chicken , but said she would do anything to save the hired man from that awful city life he had mentioned . She said she knew something would happen when she tried to climb out her window , but she would have to do it , as it was the only way to get out without going through Aunt Melissy 's room , which would be much worse . `` Well , that night Winters and I got everything ready , and had all his things packed in a bundle at the foot of the tree , and a little before midnight by the full moon , Winters went up and crawled out on the limb to bend it down , but when he got there it would n't bend far enough to reach Minty Glenwood 's window -- him being a light-weight person , though I 've heard he got fatter later on .