day. Some one asked Miss Todd which
of them she intended to marry, and she answered laughingly: "The one
who has the best chance of becoming President!"

She is said, however, to have refused the "Little Giant" on account of
his lax morality and after that the coast was clear for Lincoln. Miss
Todd's sister tells us that "he was charmed by Mary's wit and
fascinated by her quick sagacity, her will, her nature, and culture."
"I have happened in the room," she says, "where they were sitting,
often and often, and Mary led the conversation. Lincoln would listen,
and gaze on her as if drawn by some superior power--irresistibly so;
he listened, but scarcely ever said a word."

The affair naturally culminated in an engagement, and the course of
love was running smoothly, when a distracting element appeared in the
shape of Miss Matilda Edwards, the sister of Mrs. Edwards's husband.
She was young and fair, and Lincoln was pleased with her appearance.
For a time he tried to go on as before, but his feelings were too
strong to be concealed. Mr. Edwards endeavoured to get his sister to
marry Lincoln's friend, Speed, but she refused both Speed and Douglas.

It is said that Lincoln once went to Miss Todd's house, intending to
break the engagement, but his real love proved too strong to allow him
to do it.

His friend, Speed, thus describes the conclusion of this episode.
"Well, old fellow," I said, "did you do as you intended?"

"Yes, I did," responded Lincoln thoughtfully, "and when I told Mary I
did not love her, she, wringing her hands, said something about the
deceiver being himself deceived."

"What else did you say?"

"To tell you the truth, Speed, it was too much for me. I found the
tears trickling down my own cheeks. I caught her in my arms and kissed
her."

"And that's how you broke the engagement. Your conduct was tantamount
to a renewal of it!"

And indeed this was true, and the lovers again considered the time of
marriage.

There is a story by Herndon to the effect that a wedding was arranged
for the first day of January, 1841, and then when the hour came
Lincoln did not appear, and was found wandering alone in the woods
plunged in the deepest melancholy--a melancholy bordering upon
insanity.

This story, however, has no foundation; in fact, most competent
witnesses agree that no such marriage date was fixed, although some
date may have been considered.

It is certain, however, that the relations between L