PART 1
Something told her to stop.
Jo had been busy with her nightly notations in the Conscience Book when something, a mother's instinct perhaps, told her to stop. She placed her pen into the inkwell and turned around. There was her little son Rob, eyes wide with fright, standing speechless in the doorway.
Jo rushed over to the boy and embraced him. His body was trembling. "What's wrong, Rob?" she asked.
Rob turned and pointed in direction of the parlor. "A ghost," he said. "A ghost in the window."
Jo gave him a tighter hug and stroked his head. "It's all right," she reassured him. "Remember how I told you there are no such things as ghosts?"
Rob seemed a bit calmer. He looked up at Jo. "You mean it's my 'magicnayshun?"
"Yes," Jo said. "It's only your imagination."
Rob gave a sigh.
"I think it's bedtime," she said. "You get ready, and I will be right there with a nice story to tell you."
Much relieved, Rob hugged his mother and ran off to bed. Jo marched straight for the parlor.
She stood in the doorway with hands on hips and an indignant frown on her face. It was just what she had suspected: the parlor was darkened, and the older children were sitting around the fireplace telling ghost stories. Nan was in the middle of telling a tale when she caught sight of Jo. She paused and studied the look in her eyes. "Is something wrong, Mrs. Jo?" she asked.
"Yes there is," Jo gave an exasperated sigh. "Haven't I asked you not to tell the younger children scary stories?"
"We didn't," Dan replied.
"Yeah," Tommy added. "It was just us here in the parlor."
"Well, Rob must have overheard your taletelling," Jo continued. "The poor boy was frightened to death!"
"We didn't know he was listening in," said Emil. "Honest!"
"We were just trying to get into the mood for Hallowe'en," explained Nan.
"In the future," Jo lectured, "please refrain from telling these types of stories until after the little ones are to bed. Now Rob thinks he saw a ghost in the parlor window."
Everyone glanced over at the window in question. "It's just the curtains," Nan said.
"I think this story hour should be concluded right now," Jo directed. "The remainder of the evening would be better spent reviewing lessons."
The group obediently disbanded, although groans and grumbling were audible as each retired to his or her respective bedroom to settle down with a lesson book.
Jo shook her head and sighed again, then headed to the kitchen to prepare milk and a cookie for Rob's bedtime treat.
PART 2
