half past four
All that was the Litterny end of the affair . Simple enough , was n't it ? '' Katherine 's eyes were so intent , so brilliant , that Norman North went on with a pleased sense that he told the tale well : `` Now begins the Claflin experience . At half past four a clerk from Litterny 's left a package at the Claflin house in Cleveland Avenue , which was at once taken , as the man desired , to Mrs. Claflin . She opened it and found three very handsome diamond brooches , which astonished her extremely , as she knew nothing about them . However , it was not unusual for Claflin to give her jewelry , and he is , as I said , an impulsive man , so that unexpected presents had come once or twice before ; and altogether , being much taken with the stones , she concluded simply that she would understand when her husband came home to dinner . `` However , her hopes were dashed , for twenty minutes later , barely long enough for the clerk to have got back to the shop , she was called to the telephone by a message , said to be from Litterny 's , and a most polite and apologetic person explained over the line that a mistake had been made ; that the diamonds had been addressed and sent to her by an error of the shipping-clerk ; that they were not intended for Mrs. Burr Claflin , but for Mrs. Bird Catlin , and that the change in name had been discovered on the messenger 's return .