and jelly sandwiches.”
“We love them,” Andy said. “ Specially with extra peanut butter.”
Maggie nodded, her mouth full of food. “And jelly,” she murmured.
“Well, then, extra peanut butter and jelly it is,” he said.
Mary got up and went to the pantry. “I have some cookies, potato chips and fruit snacks,” she said. “ Which would be the best… ”
“Cookies,” Andy called. “And chips.”
“And fruit snacks,” Maggie added.
Mary turned to Ian, “Do we have enough room in the sacks for all three?”
“Oh, aye, there’s always room for snacks,” he said. “So, Andy, tell me a ghost story.”
Andy took another spoonful of oatmeal and swallowed quickly. “There’s the ghost who lives at the old library,” he said.
Ian turned to Mary and she shook her head. “He was just visiting,” she said.
“Well, there’s the ghost that lives at the Historical Museum,” Andy said.
Mary smiled. “Oh, that’s a good one, Andy,” she said. “But he only visits occasionally. No unfinished business there.”
Andy sighed.
“I know, the ghost at the high school,” Maggie said.
“Yeah, the ghost at the high school,” Andy repeated. “Good one Maggie.”
Mary was instantly alert. “Tell me about the ghost at the high school,” Mary said, grabbing the snacks from the pantry and walking over to the counter and dropping them in the sacks. “Where is it?”
“On the second floor,” Andy said, “In the Chemistry lab.”
Maggie nodded. “Uh huh,” she said. “He opens the windows and unlocks the doors.”
Mary smiled. “Why would he do that?” she asked.
“Cause he got stuck in there in a fire,” Maggie said, “And got burned up.”
“Oh, well, the poor fellow,” Ian said.
“Yeah, but he saved all the students,” Andy added. “He was a hero. So how come he’s a ghost?”
Ian placed the bagged sandwiches into the sacks, folded down the tops and carried them to the table. “Well, that’s a very good question, Andy,” he said. “And perhaps that’s something Mary and I can discover.”
Mary looked over at the clock. “You have ten minutes until the bus is here,” she said. “Go upstairs and brush your teeth. Then we’ll get you bundled up in your coats.”
They rushed up the stairs, giggling the entire way. Mary picked up their bowls and brought them over to the sink. “Well, what do you think?” she asked.
“I think we did well for a couple of amateurs,” Ian said, picking up the sacks and putting them in their backpacks.
Mary laughed. “No, I meant about the ghost. It sounds like Dr. Thorne’s father,” she said. “Although I have to say, you did a wonderful job this morning.”
He grinned. “You get to cook tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll just have to bribe Rosie to bring over cinnamon rolls,” she said, rinsing out the pan.
“You’ll get no argument from me,” Ian said. “She cooks like an angel.”
Mary laughed. “I do recall you proposing to her so she’d cook for you,” she said, filling the sink with soap and hot water. “I’d hate to have both Stanley and Maggie upset. Do you think you can control yourself?”
“Aye, I’ll control myself,” he said. “She’s a promised woman now.”
“I wonder if Rosie or Stanley have heard about this ghost,” Mary said.
The clatter of feet on the staircase and young voices raised in argument interrupted their conversation. “Can too,” Maggie said.
“Can not!” Andy argued.
Maggie ran over to Ian, her eyes filled with tears. “Andy said I can’t marry you ‘ cause you live in a castle and since I’m not a princess I can’t live in a castle too.”
Ian knelt down in front of her, brushed her hair away from her face and helped her into her coat. “Well, darling, from what I can see you look like a princess to me,” he said. “So I suppose that settles it.”
She beamed at him and then turned to her brother. “See, Ian says I’m a princess.”
Andy rolled his eyes.
“We love them,” Andy said. “ Specially with extra peanut butter.”
Maggie nodded, her mouth full of food. “And jelly,” she murmured.
“Well, then, extra peanut butter and jelly it is,” he said.
Mary got up and went to the pantry. “I have some cookies, potato chips and fruit snacks,” she said. “ Which would be the best… ”
“Cookies,” Andy called. “And chips.”
“And fruit snacks,” Maggie added.
Mary turned to Ian, “Do we have enough room in the sacks for all three?”
“Oh, aye, there’s always room for snacks,” he said. “So, Andy, tell me a ghost story.”
Andy took another spoonful of oatmeal and swallowed quickly. “There’s the ghost who lives at the old library,” he said.
Ian turned to Mary and she shook her head. “He was just visiting,” she said.
“Well, there’s the ghost that lives at the Historical Museum,” Andy said.
Mary smiled. “Oh, that’s a good one, Andy,” she said. “But he only visits occasionally. No unfinished business there.”
Andy sighed.
“I know, the ghost at the high school,” Maggie said.
“Yeah, the ghost at the high school,” Andy repeated. “Good one Maggie.”
Mary was instantly alert. “Tell me about the ghost at the high school,” Mary said, grabbing the snacks from the pantry and walking over to the counter and dropping them in the sacks. “Where is it?”
“On the second floor,” Andy said, “In the Chemistry lab.”
Maggie nodded. “Uh huh,” she said. “He opens the windows and unlocks the doors.”
Mary smiled. “Why would he do that?” she asked.
“Cause he got stuck in there in a fire,” Maggie said, “And got burned up.”
“Oh, well, the poor fellow,” Ian said.
“Yeah, but he saved all the students,” Andy added. “He was a hero. So how come he’s a ghost?”
Ian placed the bagged sandwiches into the sacks, folded down the tops and carried them to the table. “Well, that’s a very good question, Andy,” he said. “And perhaps that’s something Mary and I can discover.”
Mary looked over at the clock. “You have ten minutes until the bus is here,” she said. “Go upstairs and brush your teeth. Then we’ll get you bundled up in your coats.”
They rushed up the stairs, giggling the entire way. Mary picked up their bowls and brought them over to the sink. “Well, what do you think?” she asked.
“I think we did well for a couple of amateurs,” Ian said, picking up the sacks and putting them in their backpacks.
Mary laughed. “No, I meant about the ghost. It sounds like Dr. Thorne’s father,” she said. “Although I have to say, you did a wonderful job this morning.”
He grinned. “You get to cook tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll just have to bribe Rosie to bring over cinnamon rolls,” she said, rinsing out the pan.
“You’ll get no argument from me,” Ian said. “She cooks like an angel.”
Mary laughed. “I do recall you proposing to her so she’d cook for you,” she said, filling the sink with soap and hot water. “I’d hate to have both Stanley and Maggie upset. Do you think you can control yourself?”
“Aye, I’ll control myself,” he said. “She’s a promised woman now.”
“I wonder if Rosie or Stanley have heard about this ghost,” Mary said.
The clatter of feet on the staircase and young voices raised in argument interrupted their conversation. “Can too,” Maggie said.
“Can not!” Andy argued.
Maggie ran over to Ian, her eyes filled with tears. “Andy said I can’t marry you ‘ cause you live in a castle and since I’m not a princess I can’t live in a castle too.”
Ian knelt down in front of her, brushed her hair away from her face and helped her into her coat. “Well, darling, from what I can see you look like a princess to me,” he said. “So I suppose that settles it.”
She beamed at him and then turned to her brother. “See, Ian says I’m a princess.”
Andy rolled his eyes.
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