The Saint Paul globe., 1901-12-17
Corner for Children.

| pencil marks would blur in the mails
| Well, Tom answered cheerfully,
| then We could not have any tiresome
! school because there would be no books
out of which to learn our lessons
"Oh, yes, there would" snapped his
! tormentor; they would fix you up books
| of raised letters like those they have for
| the blind, and your spelling book would
| be as large as an unabridged dictionary.
| Wouldn't 1 like to see you trudging to
! school with a half dozen such books?"
| And again Inky went into a paroxysm
| of lauhgter.
Tom felt himself growing angry. I'VE
! could have metal books, thin sheets of
metal with the characters engraved on
! them"
That would be so light and convenient
| TO handle, the teacher would have even
more cause to complain of the racket
than she does now and the little man
/ looked provokingly wise II think you
! VIII find, young man, that there is
great deal more wisdom than is gener-
ally thought in that one line:
"A drop of ink may make a million
| think -
interposed Tom spitefully, .'if it were not
| for the pen and paper
'Of course not" responded Inky Ike
calmly; there is Penn Pointer he said
with wave of his hand
Toms hair fairly stood on end for, re-
garding him with a metallic smile sat
another little figure about the same size
as lnky Ike. Penn Pointer was dressed
as knight Of olden times His armor
and helmet were composed of closely
overlapping pen points, so cunningiy
Joined that they looked like the scales of
! fish. A handsomely decorated pen dan
gled at his belt. Penn Pointer bowed in
acknowledgment of the partial introduce
ton.
Il was a friend of the great William
Penn, he explained, "and was named
in his honor Inky Ike and I are broth
ers, and We would serve you WELL if you
did not abuse us; but / do not like to be
jabbed into the desk it hurts my feel
ings; or to be put away without being
nicely dried, it makes me old and rheu-
matte" he added, mournfully.
Why do you carry a pen at your belt
instead of a sword?" asked Tom, in
hopes OF changing the conversation.
why because" solemnly replied his
armed visitcr, The pen is migntier than
the sword -
A rustic caused Tow to turn his eyes.
This time he was not at all surprised to
see little lady tripping along the desk
in front of him. She was very fair to
lCok upon, and was clothed in snowiest
white, that rustled as she slipped along.
She stopped in front Of him and bowed
Paper Pon-Pon, explained Inky Ike
Our sister, added Penn Pointer. eve
would be nothing without her fair lowell
ness to back our efforts.n
Spoken like true knight" answered
Paper Pon-Pon in a silvery voice, "and
my life would be a blank without you
BOTH
Miss Pon=Pon. here stretched out lily
white hand to each of her brothers, and
then began the jolliest little dance that
Tom had ever seen. Round and round
they whirled until Tom burst into a
merry laugh at their mad gambols He
suddenly became conscious. that every
eye in the room was riyeted upon him.
Thomas Page demanded his teacher,
''at what were you laughing?"
'Inky Ike answered Tom promptly.
The teacher stared at him and the rest
of the room snickered. Tom looked at his
desk, not trace of Inky Ike, Penn
Pointer or Paper Pon-Pon was to be
seen.
Il believe that you have been asleep"