Mrs.Packard was not yet down and the mayor had already left to fulfil an early appointment down-town.

Old Nixon waited on me.

As he, like every other member of the family, with the possible exception of the mayor, was still an unknown quantity in the problem given me to solve, I allowed a few stray glances to follow him as he moved decorously about the board anticipating my wants and showing himself an adept in his appointed task.

Once I caught his eye and I half expected him to speak, but he was too well-trained for that, and the meal proceeded in the same silence in which it had begun.

But this short interchange of looks had given me an idea.