Now the fairies are afraid of humans because humans look right through them and do not see them.  That upsets the fairies and makes them uncomfortable.  Of course Helma and Eric were exceptions, for because they had no shadows in their eyes they could see them and play with them.  So the fairies accepted those two as one of themselves.  Ivra was different.  Because she was only half fairy, any human could see her whether his eyes were shadowed or not if he would only look hard enough.  The dreadful part was that when a human did see her, he was likely not to believe in her.  He would just think he was day-dreaming, and that the little girl with the soft eyes, the ash-colored pigtails, and the quick feet was just a piece of his day-dream.  Not to be seen is bad enough.  But it is much worse to be seen and not believed in.  That was why Ivra was afraid of the town.  People saw her there and either rubbed their eyes and looked another way, or laughed.

But now she was going for her mother, and she could bear anything, even that.  She did not hold back long.  They ran past the canning factory, and Eric did not give a glance to it.  A little girl looking out over a pile of cans saw him, however, and wondered at his warm suit of brown cloth, his leggins, sandals and the cap with wings.  She remembered him in rags.  She saw Ivra too, and did not rub her eyes and think her a dream.  But she did not call to any one in the factory or point, for she knew they would think it a dream.

Through the crooked narrow streets, past the crooked narrow houses,—­one of them Mrs. Freg’s,—­they sped faster than the wind!  On, on, on,—­up the wide avenue through the “residential section” where big houses eyed them from proud terraces,—­out into the country again they raced.

There they came to a high gray stone wall, blocking their way, and stood still.

“You must climb,” said Wild Star.  “She is in there.”

CHAPTER X

ON THE GRAY WALL

It was a very high wall that hid their mother, and at first glance it seemed impossible that they could ever climb it.  But Ivra did not stop to wonder.  She ran up and down, hunting for a foothold.  At last she reached the end of the wall and disappeared around the corner.  Eric and the Wind Creatures followed.  When they came up to her she had already found a place where the stones were laid a bit unevenly, one on the other, and was half way to the top, clinging with toes and fingers.

“Bravo!” cried the Wind Creatures.  Eric went up after her, often slipping back and bruising and scratching his hands and knees, but as resolute as his playmate.  At last they gained the top.  The Wind Creatures had flown up and were waiting for them there, sitting cross-legged with their purple wings folded down their backs.

The wall enclosed the garden of a very rich family.  It was a formal garden with straight walks, trellises, fountains, benches and neat flower beds laid out in squares and circles, now piled high with blossoming snow.