Possibly his thoughts flew instantly toward one particular boy who happened to have an old grandfather, and about whom there had always been more or less mysterious comment in the town.
"After he had gone away, letting himself out at my request, so as to save Sarah from coming up from the kitchen, I had occasion to pass into the other room, which also opens into the front hall.

Something impelled me to idly count over some souvenir spoons that I have personally collected from various parts of the world, and each one of which has a peculiar value for me far, far beyond its pecuniary worth.
"To my surprise and dismay I found that there were only eleven, when there should have been twelve.

I keep them there on a table so as to show them to some of my kind lady friends, for I am particularly proud of my collection, and Sarah had only that morning brightened them all superbly until they glistened.
"So I called her up and asked her if she could remember counting the spoons at the time she cleaned them.

She assured me solemnly that the entire twelve were in the open case when she placed them on the table at my orders.
"It remained a puzzle to me for a whole week.

I believed, of course, that Sarah must have unconsciously mislaid a spoon, which would be found sooner or later.