midnight
-- Pudd ` nhead Wilson 's Calendar . The Friday after the election was a rainy one in St. Louis . It rained all day long , and rained hard , apparently trying its best to wash that soot-blackened town white , but of course not succeeding . Toward midnight Tom Driscoll arrived at his lodgings from the theatre in the heavy downpour , and closed his umbrella and let himself in ; but when he would have shut the door , he found that there was another person entering -- doubtless another lodger ; this person closed the door and tramped up-stairs behind Tom . Tom found his door in the dark , and entered it and turned up the gas . When he faced about , lightly whistling , he saw the back of a man . The man was closing and locking his door for him .