midnight
Truly the wolves have an easy prey . The Undesired That evening about seven o'clock , whilst Easton was down-town seeing the last of the election , Ruth 's child was born . After the doctor was gone , Mary Linden stayed with her during the hours that elapsed before Easton came home , and downstairs Elsie and Charley -- who were allowed to stay up late to help their mother because Mrs Easton was ill -- crept about very quietly , and conversed in hushed tones as they washed up the tea things and swept the floor and tidied the kitchen . Easton did not return until after midnight , and all through the intervening hours , Ruth , weak and tired , but unable to sleep , was lying in bed with the child by her side . Her wide-open eyes appeared unnaturally large and brilliant , in contrast with the almost death-like paleness of her face , and there was a look of fear in them , as she waited and listened for the sound of Easton 's footsteps . Outside , the silence of the night was disturbed by many unusual noises : a far-off roar , as of the breaking of waves on a seashore , arose from the direction of the town , where the last scenes of the election were being enacted . Every few minutes motor cars rushed past the house at a furious rate , and the air was full of the sounds of distant shouts and singing .