The strain on Ann, the worst part of it being the secret, which to her was fast coming to seem little short of a crime against her good father and mother, began to tell on her. She laughed little and sang less. She was more seldom seen with the young people. Mr. and Mrs. Rutledge noticed this, as well as did Abraham Lincoln, and one night, when Ann's face showed that she had been particularly disappointed because of no letter, Abe Lincoln suggested that Ann learn grammar with him out of his highly prized little book. Both Mr. and Mrs. Rutledge accepted the offer as a special favor. So it happened that Ann and Abe were left together, and with the precious grammar spread on Ann's little work-table they sat down to their task, he on one side, she on the other. The book was not large, and bending over it the mop of coarse, black hair all but touched the crown of fine-spun gold. "I will be the teacher," Abe Lincoln said after they had looked through the book, which was the only one of the kind in New Salem. "We will new study the verb 'to love,'" and turning the pages he found the place. "I love," he said, looking across at Ann. Her eyes were on the book. "Next is 'You love'?" He spoke the words as a question with the accent on the "you." "Say it now, Ann, just as I have, and look at your teacher. First, 'I love.'" "I love," she repeated. "Might be better," he said. "Now the next, and look at your teacher and repeat after me, 'You love'?" As Ann repeated the question her face took on a touch of pink. "Very good--very good, indeed. Now the next is, 'We love.' We will say that together with the accent on the 'we.' Now--one--two--three--'we,'" and he beat three times slowly with his big hand "Ready, 'We love.'" There was much more emphasis in the teacher's statement than in that of the pupil. The effect on Ann was to cause a merry laugh. "Ann," said Abe Lincoln, "I'm goin' to give you this grammar. I know it by heart--by heart, Ann--especially the verb 'I love.' I want you to learn it"; and he wrote across the top, "Ann Rutledge is learning grammar," and pushed it across the table to her. "What a splendid present!" she said with a smiling face. "How I wish I had something to give you, Abraham--would you take my little Bible--and read it?" "Oh, Ann!--would you give it to me?" he asked with the joy of a child. "You won't give it away like you did the muffler, will you?" "Wouldn't you be willin' if I should run across a bigger sinner than Abe Lincoln?" he answered laughing. From a chest of drawers she took a little, brown book and handed it to him. "It must be marked, Ann," and, taking the pencil he had written on the grammar with, he handed it to her, saying, "Now we will find a place where the verb 'to love' is found." The quick ease with which he turned to the passage he had in mind surprised Ann. With the open page before him he said, "You are religious, Ann. You obey the commands of the Holy Scriptures, don't you?" "I try to."