After the simple burial rites were over, Nance Cameron, Miss Rogers and others brought armfuls of early goldenrod and asters which they had gathered, to cover the low mound of the best-loved girl in New Salem. It was not until the company had gone that Ole Bar came out of the woods, and, kneeling by the grave, put his lone flower over the place where under the earth her hands were folded. From the dead, interest turned to the living, and the one question asked by his friends was: "Where is Abe Lincoln?" Dr. Allen asked Mrs. Rutledge. She did not know and asked John Rutledge. He did not know. William Green was asked and Mentor Graham. Nobody knew anything about Lincoln. Early the morning after the day of the funeral, Katy Kelly looked out and saw a man coming. "Ma," she called, "there's an old man comin' to our place." Visitors being almost unheard of out there, Mrs. Kelly looked out. For a moment she seemed puzzled. The man was somewhat stooped and walking slowly. It was none other than Abraham Lincoln. "Howdy, Mrs. Kelly," he said wearily. "I was passing by and thought I'd stop a minute." Mrs. Kelly hastened into her one room and cleared off the only chair in the house. "Ma," whispered Katy, not knowing she had ever seen him before, "What's ailin' of that old man?" "Shut up," her mother whispered. "His gal's dead, and he's not got over it yet." Then to Lincoln she said: "You look nigh starved, Mr. Linking. We hain't much, but if you was to refuse I'd feel powerful hurt." "But I'm not hungry at all--I couldn't eat. I've been over about Concord and just stopped to get a drink of water." "We've got a cow since Kelly got broke up from dram drinkin'. You'll take a cup of milk, I'm sure." He drank the milk, thanked her and went on. She watched him until he disappeared behind the trees. "He's a awful-sized man to take it to heart so. Don't he know there's as good fish in the sea as has ever been caught?" The second night that Abe Lincoln was missing a few of his close friends held a council at Dr. Allen's house. William Green was there and Mentor Graham. Dr. Allen had been telling them that Lincoln himself had not been well for several weeks. The suggestion that he might have, in a moment of despair, ended his life was not reasonable to those who knew him. Neither was Dr. Allen of the opinion that the shock would impair his reason. "Lincoln is large in all ways. He has a great mind and a great heart. He has been a great lover--the greatest lover that ever lived in these parts. Just now he is numbed by the shock of his loss as one is numbed by a great blow. He is somewhere alone in his grief--no telling where. But unless he has food and medical attention, he too may follow Ann shortly. We must find him." While they were discussing his whereabouts, Lincoln was, as Dr. Allen had supposed, alone with his grief.