thinking of. Will you mention it to her? I must hurry and show this fish while it is fresh,"—and, so saying, he walked rapidly away with the little fish, and the pole and tackle.
"My dear Miss," said Class 60, H, approaching Selma, "would you like to visit the home of the gnomes,—to call, in fact, on the Queen Dowager of all the Gnomes?"
"Go down underground, where you live?" asked Selma. "Would it be safe down there, and when could I get back again?"
"Safe, dear miss! Oh, perfectly so! And the trip will not take you more than a couple of hours. I assure you that you will be back in plenty of time for supper. Will you go, if I send a trusty messenger for you? You may never have another chance to see our country."
Selma thought that this was very probable, and she began to consider the matter.
As soon as Class 60, H, saw that she was really trying to make up her mind whether or not to go, he cried out:
"Good! I see you have determined to go. Wait here five minutes and the messenger will be with you," and then he rushed off as fast as he could run.
"I didn't say I would go," thought Selma, "but I think will."
In a very few minutes, Selma heard a deep voice behind her say: "Well, are you ready?"
Turning suddenly, she saw, standing close to her, a great black bear!
Frightened dreadfully, she turned to run, but the bear called out: "Stop! You needn't be frightened. I'm tame."
The surprise of hearing a bear speak overcame poor Selma's terror; she stopped, and looked around.
