The bill was paid, and the woman was entirely satisfied. But the young store-keeper, not feeling quite sure as to the accuracy of his calculation, added up the items once more. To his dismay he found that the sum total should have been but two dollars. “I’ve made her pay six and a quarter cents too much,” said Abe, disturbed. It was a trifle, and many clerks would have dismissed it as such. But Abe was too conscientious for that. “The money must be paid back,” he decided. This would have been easy enough had the woman lived “just round the corner,” but, as the young man knew, she lived between two and three miles away. This, however, did not alter the matter. It was night, but he closed and locked the store, and walked to the residence of his customer. Arrived there, he explained the matter, paid over the six and a quarter cents, and returned satisfied. If I were a capitalist, I would be willing to lend money to such a young man without security. Here is another illustration of young Lincoln’s strict honesty: A woman entered the store and asked for half a pound of tea. The young clerk weighed it out, and handed it to her in a parcel. This was the last sale of the day. The next morning, when commencing his duties, Abe discovered a four-ounce weight on the scales. It flashed upon him at once that he had used this in the sale of the night previous, and so, of course, given his customer short weight. I am afraid that there are many country merchants who would not have been much worried by this discovery. Not so the young clerk in whom we are interested. He weighed out the balance of the half pound, shut up store, and carried it to the defrauded customer. I think my young readers will begin to see that the name so often given, in later times, to President Lincoln, of “Honest Old Abe,” was well deserved. A man who begins by strict honesty in his youth is not likely to change as he grows older, and mercantile honesty is some guarantee of political honesty. There is another incident for which I am also indebted to Dr. Holland: The young clerk was waiting upon two or three ladies, when a noted bully entered the store, and began to talk in a manner offensive not only to the ladies, but to any person of refinement. Young Lincoln leaned over the counter, and said quietly, “Don’t you see that ladies are present?” “What is that to me?” demanded the bully. “Out of respect for them, will you stop your rough talk?” “I will talk as I please, and I should like to see the man that will stop me,” answered the bully, arrogantly. “If you think you are the better man, we’ll try it on the spot.” Lincoln began to see that the man meant to [Illustration: ABE’S EARLY HOME. THE LOG CABIN. Page 9] force a quarrel upon him, and he did not shrink from it. “If you will wait till the ladies retire,” he said quietly, “I will give you any satisfaction you wish.” The ladies had by this time completed their purchases, and were glad to leave the store.