an hour before noon
Mr. Slocum saw one thing with painful distinctness -- that he could not help himself . The next morning Mr. Slocum did not make his appearance in the marble yard . His half-simulated indisposition of the previous night had turned into a genuine headache , of which he perhaps willingly availed himself to remain in his room , for he had no desire to see Richard Shackford that day . It was an hour before noon . Up to that moment Richard had been engaged in reading and replying to the letters received by the morning 's mail , a duty which usually fell to Mr. Slocum . As Richard stepped from the office into the yard a small boy thrust a note into his hand , and then stood off a short distance tranquilly boring with one toe in the loose gravel , and apparently waiting for an answer . Shackford hastily ran his eye over the paper , and turning towards the boy said , a little impatiently : `` Tell him I will come at once . ''