Mary was pretty and
well educated. Abe was a little afraid of her, but one night at a party
he screwed up his courage to ask her for a dance.
[Illustration]
"Miss Todd," he said, "I would like to dance with you the worst way."
As he swept her around the dance floor, he bumped into other couples. He
stepped on her toes. "Mr. Lincoln," said Mary, as she limped over to a
chair, "you did dance with me the worst way--the very worst."
She did not mind that he was not a good dancer. As she looked up into
Abe's homely face, she decided that he had a great future ahead of him.
She remembered something she had once said as a little girl: "When I
grow up, I want to marry a man who will be President of the United
States."
Abe was not the only one who liked Mary Todd. Among the other young men
who came to see her was another lawyer, Stephen A. Douglas. He was no
taller than Mary herself, but he had such a large head and shoulders
that he had been nicknamed "the Little Giant." He was handsome, and
rich, and brilliant. His friends thought that he might be President some
day.
"No," said Mary, "Abe Lincoln has the better chance to succeed.
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