seven o'clock
That 's ready now . Here , Tracey , you carry this gentleman 's things up to number forty-three . '' But Tracey had already gone , and such was his haste to spread the news that he forgot to take the horse and surrey back to the stable , but left it standing in front of the hotel till eight o'clock ; for which oversight , I am credibly informed , his father justly dealt with him before sending him to bed . I have never been able to understand how we failed to hear of it at Miss Carpenter 's before seven o'clock . That was the hour when , having finished supper and my first evening pipe , I started down-town to the _ Citizen _ office , intending to stop in at the Bigelow House on the way and confound Will with the list of the day 's happenings . Main Street was pretty well crowded for that hour , I remember noticing , and most of the townsfolk were grouped together on the corners , underneath the lamps , discussing something rather excitedly . I paid no particular attention , realising that between Caesar , Pete Willing , Roland Burnette 's suit and the checker game , they had enough to talk about .