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!”

“Sky-High,” said Mrs. Van Buren, “what was that sound I heard?”

“Crackers, mistress.”

“We are only allowed to fire crackers on holidays.  Why did you light crackers?”

“To disperse the evil spirits, mistress, the dragons in the air, the imps.  It is the way we serve them in China.”

“There are no evil spirits here, Sky-High.  What could have made you think that there were, Sky-High?”

“The cat—­she is long bewitched after my queue.  I fired the crackers to dis-power her—­I saw her tail going over the fence!  She is dis-possessed.  She will not jump at Sky-High’s queue any more.  We shoot crackers in China when evil spirits come in the air.  China is a spirit-land, mistress.  Our air is filled with bright spirits and dark ones.  When the cat begins to frisk its tail, we know there has come a company of evil spirits.  The little cat’s tail this morning went snap-snap!”

“Oh, Sky-High! there are no evil spirits in this blooming garden,” said his mistress.  “The little white cat is possessed by a playful spirit, perhaps.  What is that strange figure in black on the red paper flag over the door?”

“That is the wan, mistress.”

“And what is the wan, Sky-High?”

“The mystic sign that warns off evil spirits.”

“Did I not say there are no evil spirits here?”

Here little Sky-High’s eyes began to blink.  “Why did master put a horse-shoe over the stable-door?”

Lucy looked up at her mother.  And said Nora, “I would discharge that sassbox of a Chinese at once!”

“Have you more crackers, Sky-High?”

“In my chest, mistress.”

“Keep them until the Fourth of July, Sky-High.  At any time when you think there are evil spirits about, come up to me.”

“May Sky-High let the wan fly over his door?”

“Yes,” said Mrs. Van Buren; “while the horse-shoe remains over the stable to keep witches out, you may let the wan stay.  You have as much right to your superstitions as we to ours.”

Sky-High in a serene and beautiful spirit continued ironing,

Nora went back to her pantry.  “It’s not I that likes the foreign boy under the roof,” she said.  “He’ll be convertin’ the mistress into a haythen!  It’ll not be long I’ll be here!”

Lucy sat down outside among the trees and birds and watched the wan waving gently in the wind.  How neat Sky-High looked in his flowing dress of white and blue!  She wondered again if he were not indeed a wang!  After a while she made up her mind to relate a Jataka story that night.