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Chapter 14 Nan and the Policeman · The Wind Boy

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Chapter fourteen of The Wind Boy by Ethel Cook Eliot. This LibriVox recording is
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in the public domain. Chapter fourteen Nan and the Policeman. And as he
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ran he noticed the down trodden flower beds, the broken ferns, the footmarks
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in newly planted earth. He had done that chasing rose Marie. She had
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done it too, of course, But then if he hadn't chased her,
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she would never have gone that way. What would the artists say when he
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saw the ruin? What wo'd dator say when she knew Kay looked very rueful?
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Indeed, but he had been chasing the masker. They couldn't blame him
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too much. The masker, though, had been Rosemarie, they could blame
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her. He was not running now, but walking very slow. Thinking.
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I'll not tell who the masker was, he said to himself. The He
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ought just to be glad enough that I've got the mask and it can't frighten
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them anymore. Poor Rosemares not to be scolded, not because of me.
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Then he started to run again, for now he could hardly wait to wave
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the mask in the faces of Gentian and the wind Boy. But I must
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tell you about the wind Boy and Gentian the wind boy had found her quickly
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enough and got her goal too, for her feet, even in their sandals,
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were no match for his strong wings. Together, then they hunted for
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k. Of course, they could not find him, for it never entered
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their heads that he might have disobeyed dettra and gone into the artist's grounds For
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a while. The policeman, who had been there for some time, standing
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near the little swinging gate, kept his silence and watched Gentian searching. Of
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course, he did not see her, comrade the wind boy. The policeman
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was smiling behind his mustache, for he thought that at last he was on
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the trace of the masker. After a time he called, what are you
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looking for, little girl? Why we're playing hide and seek and Kay has
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hidden himself so well we can't find him. Gentian stopped her search to answer,
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very politely, for children were always a little in awe of this policeman
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in his important looking uniform with all its brass buttons. But if you saw
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him, she added quickly, you mustn't tell, for that wouldn't be fair.
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That's so, little girl. Well, I surely did see him,
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but I am standing here watching for him to come back. I am.
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If he doesn't appear soon, I'll join in your game myself and go.
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Look he's up to something. Take my word. The policeman, you must
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know, had watched Kay steal on his tiptoes to the hedge, crawl in
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and disappear. The hedge was so high that he had not seen the masker
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slipping from tree to tree on the artist's lawn, nor Kay finally chasing it.
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But while he had waited for Kay to reappear, he had been thinking,
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and out of his thinking had come the conviction that Kay had gone to
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some hiding place for the mask and a twilight would sneak back through the hole
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in the hedge wearing it. For in spite of Nan he could not give
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up the feeling he had had for days that this little foreign boy was all
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the time the masker. Oh, dear Gentians, said so softly to the
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wind Boy that the policeman could not possibly hear. If he's going to stand
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there like that, there's no fun in playing any longer. Well, anyway,
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the wind boy said, looking about, it's twilight now and time for
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the masker. It was true, twilight had come so stealthily they had not
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noticed let's hit here by the hole, not saying anything to watch, Gentian
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nodded, so they sat down on the grass, close up against the hedge,
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their arms wrapped them out their knees to wait and watch in the twilights.
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Gentian's eyes were dark with excitement. She felt sure that they would catch
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the masker this time. When it should come creeping through the hole, Gentian
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would hold it while the wind boy tore off its mask. Oh if kay
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were only there to help and to have the fun too, why didn't he
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come out from his hiding place now, since he must see that it was
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twilight? But the policeman had swung open the gate and was coming in.
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Oh dear, what did he want now? Why couldn't he keep away till
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this was over? They wanted to do it all themselves. Gentian was not
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really afraid of him to night, for since mother and Nan were just there
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in the house, he could do her no harm, of course, but
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he did spoil the fun. He came right across the grass to Gentian and
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the wind boy. You've chosen a good place to watch, he said,
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in a whispering secret, Yes, I'll join you. Gentian did not answer.
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She forgot politeness and stared straight ahead. Well, of course, if
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the policeman stayed there and the masker did come through the hedge, he would
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be the one to catch it. He was so big and strong, and
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his arms were so long. Perhaps he'd put the mask away in his pocket
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when he got it, and then the wind boy couldn't tear it up after
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all, and would be as badly off as ever. The wind boy had
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the same thoughts. He looked at Gentian with troubled, clouded eyes. Oh
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bother, he said, Why couldn't he leave it to us? Gentean looked
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up at the policeman. Maybe it won't come this twilight, she suggested,
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Perhaps it will, though the policeman answered, looking down at her suspiciously.
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Anyhow, here I sit for a while to see and down he did,
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sit between Gentian and the wind boy. If the wind boy had not moved
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quickly, the policeman would have sat on him, For to the policeman the
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wind boy was nothing at all. At that minute, they heard running feet
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coming toward the hedge from the other side. The three watchers straightened up,
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and hearkened tense, and then kay came bounding through the hole. Swinging the
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mask high above his head, his face shining. The policeman sprang and grabbed
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him by the shoulder. There now, I've felt it all along, you
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sly scamp. Kay was taken by surprise, of course, but he was
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not frightened, only startled. When he saw Gentian and the wind boy,
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he smiled as though a policeman having him by the shoulder and frowning like a
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thundercloud was nothing. He was so full of his great news. Oh I
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caught the masker, he cried to them, And here's the mask for you,
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wind boy. He raised his arm, the arm that was free of
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the policeman's clutch, to toss the mask to the wind boy. But the
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policeman seized it. No you don't, he said that their mask goes with
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me. It's my proof that I caught the masker. He held it fast
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in his big red hand. You caught the masker, k cried, in
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consternation. Why I caught it myself? How can you say that you did
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well? I can say it well enough. I always guessed that it were
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you. Now I know I've caught you red handed with the mask itself.
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No, no, Kay, cried, I chased the masker and caught her.
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I mean it. I took the mask and came running with it to
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the wind boy. It's really his, you know, since he made it.
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The policeman paid no attention to the mention of the wind boy well Son.
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He asked, who was the masker then, if twasn't yourself out with
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it. But Kay's sure smile had frozen and died, he answered only with
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silence. At his silence, Gentian and the wind boy were amazed, but
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the policeman grinned, Oh do tell quickly, Kay, Gentean pleaded, he
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mustn't think you're the masker, but Kay stared straight before him. I'm not
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going to tell, he said quietly. It ought to be enough that I've
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got the mask and it won't frighten children ever again. So it was you
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then, sure enough, the policeman said, delighted with his own cleverness.
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And you had everyone but me well fooled. You did even that Nan there,
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who's clever enough in other ways. I'll wager you were the masker all
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along, and I'll say you were smart about it too. It took brains
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to catch you at it, it did, okay, Gentien cried, how
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can you let him go on? Saying that? But Nan, from a
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window in the little brown house, had seen the policeman out there in the
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twilight, the mask swinging in one hand, the other holding faster Kay's shoulder.
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She came running. What is it, she asked the policeman. You've
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got the mask, but why are you holding k So? I'm holding him
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because he's a mischievous scamp And it was him? Was the masker all this
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time? Now I'm going to march him into his mother while we inform her.
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Then too, the artist, who has promised a reward for the catching
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of him, he's just come home. Between the two, what's to be
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done with the boy will be decided. But Nan laughed, and all the
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children looked at her in grieved surprise. How could she laugh and they in
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such trouble? She said, I know very well, mister policeman, that
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the masker was never Kay. Why just last evening, when Kay and Gentin
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were sitting still at the supper table, the masker looked in at the window.
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Now he couldn't be in two places at once, could he at the
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table and at the window? And Nan Kay cried glad of the sensible It
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was I myself who chased the masker to night and got the mask away from
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her it. I was just bringing it to the wind boy when the policeman
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grabbed me. That's all very fine sounding, said the policeman, but he
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can't tell us who the masker was or what it's not that I can't.
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I won't let me see the horrid thing, Nan commanded, but gently holding
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her hand out for it. Be er careful. Then the policeman cautioned her.
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Nothing must happen to it until the artist has had a look. He
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would never believe it was as horrible as I said. He always laughed at
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me. Nan held the mask up and looked at it square in the green
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eyes. You are rather horrid, but you are funny too. She spoke
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to it as though it were alive, and did hear It was only mischief
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that made you first, But then you grew into something worse. You frightened
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little children. You made one little boy sick. That was wicked of you.
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So now you must be torn to bits and thrown away on the wind,
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and never, never, never frightened children again. But the policeman was
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startled by NaN's last words. He stepped quickly toward her to take back the
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mask, but Nan was too quick for him. She whirled him out and
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tossed it to the wind boy. He caught it with great eagerness and rushed
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away, tearing it to little bits as he went. The brown and green
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leaves and twigs that made it were scattered all about on the grass. Gentian
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and Kay saw the wind boy lift his wings then and fly away, way
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up into the twilight air. For a minute there was the other village hanging
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above their own, other houses, other gardens, and away off the other
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woods and other mountains, all clear in crystal twilight. But then the policeman's
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voice called them back, and they forgot the clear land. Now you've done
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it, he cried to Nan. You might have seen how easily broke it
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was. What did you mean by tossing it up like that? For all
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that the policeman had seen alas for him, was Nan throwing the mask into
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the air, and then it being whirled about in a sudden burst of spring
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wind and scattered in tiny pieces over the grass. But Nan did not look
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a bit sorry, and neither did she say I'm afraid of the policeman.
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No, she went directly to him, and lightly lifted his hands from Kay's
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shoulder. He'll not run away from you, she said. Don't you see,
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mister policeman, that he's only a little boy and has no place to
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run to except his mother back there in the house. Well, I suppose
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you're right. He couldn't escape us. Now he's found out, we'd best
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march him into his mother. Come along, young man. But Nan stood
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in front of him. Please don't tell his mother to night, she said.
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She has only just this minute started to work on the little statue she
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is making. Evening is our only time for this work she loves best.
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For all days she has to be at the factory. If you go in
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and disturb her now, she might not be able to get back to work
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to night at all. Artists are like that, the baseman stared. So,
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but she's got to know something's got to be done with him. When
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may I tell her to morrow evening, when she comes from the factory,
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And then you may tell her Until then, I promise you Kay will not
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run away, all right. I hadn't the mind to disturb her the other
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night either. Remember when you live in a town with a great artist,
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He nodded his head toward the artist's mansion over the hedge. You got to
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know something about artists and the way they work. But I'll go along to
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him now he does his work. Morning's yes, do go to the artist.
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I'm sure he want mine. You're not having the mask to show?
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You can say, what's my fault? It's getting broken. But the policeman
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did not move to go. For a minute. He was looking into NaN's
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eyes again, or rather he was looking through them to the purple mountains with
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calm stars just risen in the sky above. His face grew kind in the
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twilight. No, I'd not tell on you, not for worlds, he
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said. You can rest easy about that. Then he went. Nan turned
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to Kay. Oh I didn't I didn't, He assured her. I never
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was the masker. Don't I know it, Nan hushed him, putting an
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arm across his shoulder. But you told him to tell mother to morrow?
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Why, Kay genty and said mother will believe you too. She won't mind
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if you say it was never you. Kay straightened. Of course she won't
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punish me when I say it wasn't. I. It isn't that the bother
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me, even if she might it's how sad she will feel. She wants
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people to like us so and now they'll all think us queerer than ever,
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not only queer naughty. Perhaps I'll be expelled from school and mother will be
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miserable, and it will be all my fault. Well, anyway, let's
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be glad that she's not to be troubled tonight. Nane said. For now
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that the wind boy's happy again and back with his comrades, this is her
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chance to get the statuette. Right, he will look glad of his wings
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tomorrow and have clear eyes. Oh do you think that the wind boy will
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come back to night so that she can see how happy he is? Hardly
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so soon when he has just got his comrades back. But your mother may
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follow him to the clear That is where she does her true work, you
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know, even if she does forget about it when you ask her. With
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an arm across each child's shoulder, Nan turned to the house. Let's steal
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in very softly and up to my room, she whispered, when they had
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come to the door. Your mother must not be called back from the clear
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land until she has got the wind boy, just as he is now into
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her Plastelina that would spoil everything. But just as they slipped past the sitting
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room's open door, they looked in at Dettra. The statuette was before her
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on the table, and her fingers were working quickly and surely on the brow.
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Her eyes looked straight at Kay, but without seeing, she was off
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in the clear land, watching the wind boy at play with his comrades.
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This that the children saw was only her mechanical self, you know, the
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self that walks and runs and leads you about. If you have a chance
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to walk in your sleep, that self, that part of you, can
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never go up into the clear land. The children's feet made no noise on
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the stairs so quietly they crept up. But when NaN's door was closed behind
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them, then they could speak, but they did so so softly that no
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sound of it might drift down from the window and into the room where Detra
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was working on the wind boy. Nan told them stories. Gentian sat at
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her feet, leaning against her knee, but Kay sprawled on the floor,
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his chain in his hands, his eyes looking out into the darkening night.
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And though NaN's stories were wonderful and magical, still Kay heard little of them
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that night, for he was promising himself over and over. I won't tell
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un Rosemarie, no matter what they do. I'll not tell even mother a
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good thing. The policemen didn't guess. I'm glad, glad he didn't guess.
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But even so he dreaded to morrow and of Chapter fourteen