four o'clock
At seven o'clock the next morning , accompanied by the negro boy Robert , she took the train and before noon found herself at the little station to which she had ordered the freight sent . She was disappointed to find that although she had ordered the goods sent by express , they had not come by the train on which she had traveled . The railroad was run by telegraphic orders in those days , and so , even at this small station , there was an instrument and an operator . Making use of these , Barbara inquired concerning the freight , and was assured of its arrival by a train due at four o'clock . She spent the intervening time in securing two wagons with four stout horses to each , and when the freight came it was loaded upon these with particular care , so that no accidents might occur to delay the journey . If the roads had been even tolerably good , one of the wagons might have carried the load , perhaps , but the roads were execrably bad and Barbara was not minded to take any risks . When the loading was done , it was nearly nightfall , but the eager girl insisted upon starting immediately , to the profound disgust of her drivers .