Most of them carried newspaper cuttings in their purses and read them aloud to the others, who would not listen.

Tommy listened, however, and as it was all about how one house had risen at the girls and they had brought another down, he thought they led the most adventurous lives.
Occasionally they sent him out to buy newspapers or chestnuts, and then he had to keep a sharp eye on the police lest they knew about Reddy.

It was a point of honor with all the boys he knew to pretend that the policeman was after them.

To gull the policeman into thinking all was well they blackened their faces and wore their jackets inside out; their occupation was a constant state of readiness to fly from him, and when he tramped out of sight, unconscious of their existence, they emerged from dark places and spoke in exultant whispers.

Tommy had been proud to join them, but he now resented their going on in this way; he felt that he alone had the right to fly from the law.