Mystery of the Runaway Ghost by Gertrude Chandler Warner Page A

now?” he pleaded.
    Grandfather shook his head. “Fran loves to tell visitors about the family ghost. I don’t want to spoil it for her.”
    Benny was deep in thought. “Do you think it’s true?” he said at last. “Do you think Shadowbox is haunted?” He sounded uneasy.
    “I doubt it, Benny,” Grandfather said. “But Fran enjoys entertaining people, and a good ghost story is bound to get everyone’s attention.”
    “It sure got our attention!” said Henry.
    Benny nodded as he took the last bite of his pizza. “I can’t wait to hear more about it.”
    “Well, you won’t have to wait long,” Grandfather told him. “Our flight leaves the day after tomorrow.”
    “Cedarburg isn’t much farther,” Jessie said, studying the map unfolded on her lap. She was sitting in the front seat of the car Grandfather rented at the airport.
    The Aldens looked out the windows at the peaceful Wisconsin countryside. Rolling fields stretched for miles, broken only by big red barns and old stone houses. “Wow, there sure are a lot of cows around here,” Benny noticed.

    “Wisconsin is the land of the dairy cow,” Grandfather told him. “As a matter of fact, there are more cows here than in any other state.”
    As Jessie admired a field of wildflowers, she thought of something. “Does Fran still make her own greeting cards?” she asked, remembering the beautiful card Grandfather had received on his birthday. It had been decorated with a border of pressed flowers.
    Grandfather nodded. “Pressing flowers has always been a hobby of Fran’s. A few years ago, after her husband died, she decided to turn her hobby into a small business. She put her greeting cards on display in a local gallery. Now they’re selling like hotcakes.”
    “Wow, I guess Fran doesn’t have to worry about money,” Benny said.
    “Her greeting card business helps pay the monthly bills,” Grandfather replied, “but that’s about all. Something always needs fixing in an old house, and it can be very costly. That’s why Fran decided to take in a boarder for the summer — someone who pays to live with her. Her son wasn’t very happy about it, but she needed the extra money.”
    “Why wasn’t her son happy about it?” Henry wondered.
    “From what I hear, Nelson thinks his mother is working too hard. And he’s not happy that she spends most of her hard-earned money trying to keep the old house in shape. He doesn’t see the point to it. The truth is, he’s never shared his mother’s fondness for the past. Now that he has a brand-new house of his own, he wants Fran to sell Shadowbox and move in with him.”
    “Sell Shadowbox?” cried Violet. “But that’s Fran’s home!”
    “Oh, Fran’s made it clear she has no intentions of selling,” Grandfather assured Violet. “She loves Shadowbox too much for that. But it has caused some hard feelings between mother and son.”
    Before long, the Aldens were driving through the town of Cedarburg. Old cream-brick buildings lined both sides of the street. Tourists strolled along the sidewalks and in and out of the little shops.
    In no time at all, they were pulling into a long driveway. At the end of the driveway was an old stone house nestled among the tall trees.
    “Look, it’s Shadowbox!” cried Benny.
    “It sure is,” said Grandfather, slowing to a stop. He waved to a tall, silver-haired lady rushing over to greet them. Everyone scrambled out of the car.
    “It’s good to see you, Fran!” Grandfather gave his friend a warm hug. “It’s been too long between visits.”
    “You can say that again, James!” Fran’s blue eyes were sparkling. “And these must be your wonderful grandchildren.” The lace collar on her lilac dress fluttered in the breeze.
    Grandfather smiled proudly as he introduced Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny. They all shook hands with Fran. “It’s very nice to meet you,” said Jessie, speaking for them all.
    “Now I know why your house is called Shadowbox,”