seven
o'clock in the evening
`` But how did it all happen ? '' asked Outfield West breathlessly . He had just entered and was seated on the edge of the bed whereon Joel lay propped up eating his Thanksgiving dinner from a tray . It was seven o'clock in the evening , and Dickey Sproule was not yet back . The yard was noisy with the shouts of lads returning from the dining hall , and an occasional cheer floated up , an echo of the afternoon 's event . Joel moved a dish of pudding away from Outfield 's elbow as he answered between mouthfuls of turkey : `` I was up here studying at the table there when I heard some one coming up stairs two steps at a time . It was Clausen .