head, marred by ugly projecting ears and made shapeless by a mass of
untidy black hair. The brow was broad and fine, and the dark eyes set
deep under it; the nose, too, was good, but the chin and mouth were
too small for the proportions of the face. The mouth, indeed, was so
curiously puckered, and the lower lip so thick and prominent, as to give
something of a comic effect. The skin was yellow, but stretched so firm
and hard on the cheek bones that the sallowness did not look unhealthy.
The man wore an old suit of blue jeans and his pantaloons did not meet
his coarse unblacked shoes by six inches. His scraggy throat was adorned
with a black neckerchief like a boot-lace.

"Abe," said Mr. Curtin, "I would like to make you known to my friend Mr.
Stanton of Ohio."

The queer face broke into a pleasant smile, and the long man held out
his hand.

"Glad to know you, Mr. Stanton," he said, and then seemed to be stricken
with shyness. His wandering eye caught sight of a new patent churn which
had just been added to Mr. Speed's stock. He took two steps to it and
was presently deep in its mechanism. He turned it all ways, knelt beside
it on the floor, took off the handle and examined it, while the rest of
the company pressed Mr. Stanton to a seat by the fire.

"I heard Abe was out at Rochester helping entertain Ex-President Van
Buren," said Mr. Curtin to the store-keeper.

"I reckon he was," said Speed. "He kept them roaring till morning. Judge
Peck told me he allowed Mr. Van Buren would be stiff for a month with
laughing at Abe's tales. It's curious that a man who don't use tobacco
or whisky should be such mighty good company."

"I wish Abe'd keep it up," said another. "Most of the time now he goes
about like a sick dog. What's come to him, Joe?"

Mr. Speed hushed his voice. "He's got his own troubles.... He's a
deep-feeling man, and can't forget easily like you and me.... But things
is better with him, and I kind of hope to see him wed by Thanksgiving
Day.... Look at him with that churn. He's that inquisitive he can't keep
his hands off no new thing."

But the long man had finished his inquiry and rejoined the group by the
stove.

"I thought you were a lawyer, Mr. Lincoln," said Stanton, "but you seem
to have the tastes of a mechanic."

The other grinned. "I've a fancy for any kind of instrument, for I was a
surveyor in this county before I took to law."

"George Washington also was a surveyor."

"Also, but not