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MR. ZED PARRUM came to Abner's room one afternoon to say that old man Elihu Warrington who lived three miles out on the Florence road was going to give a dance that night, and he insisted that his two friends should go.

There was something about Zed, his roughly hopped humorous face, that suggested country dances. Mr. Tug Beavers immediately began speculating on how he would send word to Mary Lou Meredith. Abner said he would take the note.

"Ain't you goin' to take yore gal, Ab?" asked Tug.

Abner warmed between embarrassment and gratification.

"I don't know whether she'll go or not."

"Do you mean she's one of them damned stuck-up town gals?" asked Zed drily.

None of the trio objected to the adjective Mr. Parrum applied indifferently to all village folk.

"I don't know if she be or not."

"For the love of sukey—don't know whether yore gal's a town gal or a country gal!"

"Go along and send her a note," counselled Tug, "and if she won't go with you, tell her to go to hell."

"We-ell," agreed Abner dubiously, and both the room mates began looking for paper and ink on which Zed Parrum was to write the notes.

This task fell to Zed because the awkward fellow possessed the queer accomplishment of being able to write a copperplate hand. Zed agreed good-naturedly, cleared a space on the boys' dresser, drew up a chair, and assumed what he explained was the "side position." Mr. Parrum had taught