nearly seven o'clock
in the evening
When , from the appearance of the buildings opposite , he knew that he was back again to the point from which he had started , he learned to his dismay that the steamer had been gone fully an hour . At first he could hardly realize that he had been left behind , while his parents had started on such a long voyage , and he could not account for the neglect of his newly-made friend in not telling them that he had gone on shore , unless it was owing to the fact that he had neglected to point out his father , or to tell what his name was . After he had fully realized that he was alone in a great city , with no means of providing himself with food and shelter , save through the medium of two very nice tops and six cents , he started in search of the depot which they had arrived at , intending to take the next train back to Chicago , providing the conductor would take his tops in payment . But he could not find the depot , and at nearly seven o'clock in the evening he had stopped to ask advice from two boys of about his own age -- neither one of them was over eleven years old -- in the hope that they could straighten matters out for him . These two were very much inclined to doubt his story until he showed the tops as proof , and even then they would have looked upon some portions of it as false had he not also produced the six cents , and with three of them stood treat all round to that sticky delicacy known as `` pea-nut taffy . '' Then they believed all he had told them , and adjourning to a very broad door-step near by , they sat down to consult upon what it was best for him to do . To begin with , and in order that he might understand the case fully , one of the boys asked , as he struggled with the sticky dainty , `` What 's yer name ? ''