the
son of his old friend.

Besides those who testified to the bad character of the young prisoner,
one witness, named Allen, testified that he saw "Duff" Armstrong strike
the blow which killed Metzker.

"Couldn't you be mistaken about this?" asked Mr. Lincoln. "What time did
you see it?"

"Between nine and ten o'clock that night."

"Are you certain that you saw the prisoner strike the blow?--Be
careful--remember--you are under oath!"

"I am sure. There is no doubt about it."

"But wasn't it dark at that hour?"

"No, the moon was shining bright."

"Then you say there was a moon and it was not dark."

"Yes, it was light enough for me to see him hit Metzker on the head."

"Now I want you to be very careful. I understand you to say the murder
was committed about half past nine o'clock, and there was a bright moon
at the time?"

"Yes, sir," said the witness positively.

"Very well. That is all."

Then Lawyer Lincoln produced an almanac showing that there was no moon
that night till the early hours of the morning.

"This witness has perjured himself," he said, "and his whole story is a
lie."

* * * * *

"Duff" Armstrong was promptly acquitted. The tears of that widowed
mother and the gratitude of the boy he had rocked were the best sort of
pay to Lawyer Lincoln for an act of kindness and life-saving.

"JUST WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH THE WHOLE WORLD!"

A Springfield neighbor used to say that it was almost a habit with Mr.
Lincoln to carry his children about on his shoulders. Indeed, the man
said he seldom saw the tall lawyer go by without one or both boys
perched on high or tugging at the tails of his long coat. This neighbor
relates that he was attracted to the door of his own house one day by a
great noise of crying children, and saw Mr. Lincoln passing with the two
boys in their usual position, and both were howling lustily.

"Why, Mr. Lincoln, what's the matter?" he asked in astonishment.

"Just what's the matter with the whole world," the lawyer replied
coolly. "I've got three walnuts, and each wants two."

THE "BUCKING" CHESS BOARD

Several years later Judge Treat, of Springfield was playing chess with
Mr. Lincoln in his law office when Tad came in to call his father to
supper. The boy, impatient at the delay of the slow and silent game,
tried to break it up by a flank movement against the chess board, but
the attacks were warded off, each time, by his father