a quarter to twelve
But the time came when he did come in , actually come in and sit down to a meal . Barbara , of course , was partially responsible for this amazing invitation , but it was Heman Taylor 's old brindle tomcat which really brought it to pass . The cat in question was a disreputable old scalawag , with tattered ears and a scarred hide , souvenirs of fights innumerable , with no beauty and less morals , and named , with appropriate fitness , `` Cherub . '' It was a quarter to twelve on a Sunday morning and Jed was preparing his dinner . The piece de resistance of the dinner was , in this instance , to be a mackerel . Jed had bought the mackerel of the fish peddler the previous afternoon and it had been reposing on a plate in the little ancient ice-chest which stood by the back door of the Winslow kitchen . Barbara , just back from Sunday school and arrayed in her best , saw that back door open and decided to call .