nine o'clock
She presided over one of the red pots borrowed from the Salvation Army that were slung from their tripods at each intersecting corner of the streets radiating from Exchange Place , and for a half mile on all sides of the square . Under each pot was a bundle of resinous and oil-soaked wood that would burn brightly for an hour . At the booth in Exchange Place fuel for a much larger bonfire was laid . The crowd gathered more densely as nine o'clock drew near . The mayor himself stepped upon the speaker 's platform . The police had roped off lanes through the crowd from the Red Cross booth to the nearest corners . Janet Steele came late and she chanced to pass Laura 's corner , which was in sight of the speaker 's stand and the booth .