mild and sympathetic tone of voice.

"I'd like to know where and when we'll arrive,
just the same," exclaimed the little girl.

"Be patient and you'll find out, my dear," said
Polychrome. "But isn't this an odd experience?
Here am I, whose home is in the skies, making
a journey through the center of the earth--where
I never expected to be!"

"How do you know we're in the center of the
earth?" asked Betsy, her voice trembling a little
through nervousness.

"Why, we can t be anywhere else," replied
Polychrome. "I have often heard of this passage,
which was once built by a Magician who was a
great traveler. He thought it would save him the
bother of going around the earth's surface, but
he tumbled through the Tube so fast that he
shot out at the other end and hit a star in the sky,
which at once exploded."

"The star exploded?" asked Betsy wonderingly.

"Yes; the Magician hit it so hard."

"And what became of the Magician?" inquired the
girl.