the husband listened to the dreadful tale , but he could not believe his gentle daughter guilty of such an evil act . he knew that by popular superstition people believed that one person could cause the gradual death of another by making an image of the hated one and cursing it daily ; but where had his young daughter learned such knowledge?-the thing was impossible . yet he remembered having noticed that his daughter stayed much in her room of late and kept herself away from every one , even when visitors came to the house . putting this fact together with his wife 's alarm , he thought that there might be something to account for the strange story . his heart was torn between doubting his wife and trusting his child , and he knew not what to do . he decided to go at once to his daughter and try to find out the truth . comforting his wife and assuring her that her fears were groundless , he glided quietly to his daughter 's room .
noticed that his daughter stayed much in her room of late and kept herself away from every one .
why did the father think the step-mother's story was believable ?
why did the father think the step-mother's story was believable ?