midnight
She placed it on her first finger , saying , `` George , we will advance this crystal pledge to the third finger just as soon as we get the consent of father and mother . '' Gertrude had found on a former trip some purple crystals on the mountainside , and had had two unique emblems of their love made in New York City . George pinned upon Gertrude a gold star set with a purple amethyst , a tiny cross and a guard chain being attached , and she gave George a gold cross set with an amethyst , the guard pin being a tiny star and chain . Before midnight the two happy lovers had joined the mother and Lucille in New York , and at the close of the week all had returned to Harrisville . Labor strikes are terribly disagreeable things to encounter whether in the daily routine of steel mills and railways , or in the kitchen before breakfast on blue Monday . Especially inconvenient are strikes in steel mills when the order books are full as were those of the Harrisville Iron & Steel Co. . That the company had large orders could not possibly be concealed .