chess

[AussieMick]

I'd like to support David. And add to the perspective ...

Yes, 'kicking over a table' is the act of an impolite hooligan. But ...
The lad was sent by his mother to fetch his father home. He had passed the message on politely (apparently) and been told that Lincoln would be coming (immediately or, if not, very soon).
No doubt Mary would have grown frustrated when Lincoln made no appearance and told the boy , in no uncertain terms, that dinner was ready and Lincoln was keeping everybody waiting ... and he was to come IMMEDIATELY.

Now, the boy would have been feeling a 'tad' (my word for it) annoyed that he was the go-between and that his father had mis-led him. No wonder he was upset. What was the boy to do? Stand and wait? For how long? Return to Mary?

If Judge Treat had any decency he would have stood up and said to Lincoln, " Sorry, Mr President ... I'm keeping you from dinner... please ... we can leave the game as it is."
( Quite possibly Lincoln was making his moves quickly and the Judge dawdling and yawning and dreaming)

And of course we have no way of knowing what Lincoln did or said to the boy as they hurried to dinner. I like to think Lincoln would have apologised for not having finished up as he had promised ... but told the boy that he really should not have acted so abruptly in knocking the table over .... but he understood his annoyance.