Ben's face beamed at that; but the only way he could express his relief was by making such a blaze in honor of the occasion that he nearly roasted the company. Next morning, the brother and sister slipped quietly away, and the children hurried to school, eager to tell the great news that "Miss Celia and Thorny had gone to be married, and were coming back to live here forever and ever." (_To be continued._) [Illustration: SATURDAY AFTERNOON.] LITTLE BEAR. BY SAMUEL W. DUFFIELD. [Illustration] There lives with us an Indian-- A Paw-knee, I declare-- And he utters dreadful war-whoops, And his name is Little Bear. A braver foe in a battle, When his hands are in your hair, There is none in all my knowledge Than this same Little Bear. But when the firelight shining Lights the room up with its glare, I often camp on the hearth-rug, Good friends with Little Bear. And I'm very sure I should miss him If ever he wasn't there-- This irrepressible Indian, By the name of Little Bear! MY ST. GEORGE. BY ALICE MAUDE EDDY. It is ten years ago to-day since Georgie May and I went to "Captain Kidd's Cave" after sea-urchins. Georgie was a neighbor's child with whom I had played all my short life, and whom I loved almost as dearly as my own brothers. Such a brave, bright face he had, framed by sunny hair where the summers had dropped gold dust as they passed him by. I can see him now as he stood that day on the firm sand of the beach, with his brown eyes glowing and his plump hand brandishing a wooden sword which he himself had made, and painted with gorgeous figures of red and yellow. "You see, Allie," he was saying, "his name was Saint George, and he was a knight. And so there was a great dragon with a fiery crest. And so he went at him, and killed him; and he married the princess, and they lived happy ever after. I'd have killed him, too, if I'd been there!" "_Could_ you kill a dragon?" I asked, rather timidly. "Course I could!" replied the young champion. "I'd have a splendid white horse,--no, a black one,--and a sword like Jack the Giant Killer's, and--and--oh, and an invisible ring! I'd use him up pretty quick. Then I'd cut off his head and give it to the princess, and we'd have a feast of jelly-cake, and cream candy, and then I would marry her!" I could only gasp admiringly at this splendid vision. "But mamma said," went on Georgie, more thoughtfully, "that there are dragons now; and she said she would like me to be a Saint George. She's going to tell some more to-night, but there's getting angry, that's a dragon, and wanting to be head of everything, that's another, and she and me are going to fight 'em. We said so." "But how?" I asked, with wide open eyes. "I don't see any dragon when I'm angry!"