Lucy often begged her mother to let Sky-High wear his beautiful Chinese
clothes to the Park--with his kite he would seem like a true enchanter!
But Mrs. Van Buren strictly forbade.




VIII.

A WAN.


One day there was heard a tremendous explosion in the department of
Sky-High. Mrs. Van Buren came running down-stairs. Lucy followed her,
all eyes and ears. Irish Nora met them, running up-stairs. The kitten
fled out, and jumped over the fence. The parrot was shrieking.

Above Sky-High's door, Mrs. Van Buren saw a strange black character on a
big red paper. It was a square character and somewhat like a heavy "X"
and also somewhat like a heavy "H."

Sky-High stood calmly ironing inside his little house at the end of the
grape-arbor.

Nora followed her mistress to that abode of mystery.

"It's dynamated we are to be sure!" said she. "I shut my eyes and run,
for I thought it was Sky-High that had gone off--but there he stood
ironing! And there he stands now!"