six
o'clock
After the custom of experienced newspapermen , he rapidly twirled a makeshift cup out of a sheet of copy paper . He poured himself a draught of clear but rather tepid water , and drank it without noticeable relish . His lifted head betrayed only the automatic thankfulness of the domestic fowl . There had been a time when six o'clock meant something better than a paper goblet of lukewarm filtration . He sat down at his desk again . He had loaded his pipe sedulously with an extra fine blend which he kept in his desk drawer for smoking during rare moments of relaxation when he had leisure to savor it . As he reached for a match he was meditating a genial remark to the city editor , when he discovered that there was only one tandsticker in the box .