They borrowed money and
started a store of their own.
One day a wagon piled high with furniture stopped out in front. A man
jumped down and explained that he and his family were moving West. The
wagon was too crowded, and he had a barrel of odds and ends that he
wanted to sell. Abe, always glad to oblige, agreed to pay fifty cents
for it. Later, when he opened it, he had a wonderful surprise.
The barrel contained a set of famous law books. He had seen those same
books in Mr. Pitcher's law office in Rockport. Now that he owned a set
of his own, he could read it any time he wished. Customers coming into
the store usually found Abe lying on the counter, his nose buried in one
of the new books. The more he read, the more interested he became.
Perhaps he spent too much time reading, instead of attending to
business. William Berry was lazy, and not a very satisfactory partner.
The store of Lincoln and Berry did so little business that it had to
close. The partners were left with many debts to pay. Then Berry died,
and "Honest Abe" announced that he would pay all of the debts himself,
no matter how long it took.
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