Certainly the little house-boy was wonderfully energetic. He was able to
save every Thursday for himself, and always went into Boston on that day
and, as Mrs. Van Buren learned, visited the consular office.

One day Mrs. Van Buren asked, "What do you do all day in town,
Sky-High?"

"I see Boston, mistress."

"And what is it you see?"

"The American stores, mistress, and the American little Kinder-schools,
and the American great college-schools, and the American railcar shops,
and the American hotels, and the American markets, and the Americans,
mistress."

"And who goes with you on these visits, Sky-High?"

An attack of blinking seized little Sky-High. "The consul, he goes."

Mrs. Van Buren drove into town next day. While there she made a call
upon the Chinese consular agent. Lucy was with her. Consul Bradley
appeared to have little fresh information to give.

"The boy's father is a good man," he said. "Like the wise fathers
everywhere he craves knowledge for his son. I promised him Sky-High
should see something of Boston, and I do for him all I can."

"Mother," said Lucy on the way home, "we might be nicer to Sky-High.
Listen!"