four o'clock
Her mouth was open and her tongue even lolled a little . She was , in reality , suffering frightfully . She had both flesh and nerves , and , given these two adverse conditions to endurance , and the mercury ninety in the shade , there is torture although the spirit is strong . Although the sky was threatening all the afternoon , it was not until four o'clock that the northwest sky grew distinctly ominous and the rumble of the thunder was audible . Then Mrs. Anderson called her maid , and they proceeded to close tightly all the windows against the rising wind . `` It is very dangerous indeed to have a draught in the house in a thunder-shower , '' Mrs. Anderson always said while closing them . Then she hurriedly divested herself of the white lawn wrapper which she had worn all day , and put on her black summer silk gown , with a wrap and a bonnet and an umbrella at hand .