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of the back yard and nodded Abner to follow him. The mystery of Zed's manner calmed Abner's discomfiture. He followed, and when they were some distance from the house Zed said in a guarded tone, "I want you to do somethin' fur me."

Abner adopted the same tone, "All right, what is it?"

"I want you to go to the station an' buy me a ticket."

Abner stared, "Why, what fur?"

"That's all right what fur—will you do it?"

"M—yes." Abner stared at Zed in the wildest speculation.

Zed reached in his pocket and drew out a handful of bills and silver coins. He put it all in Abner's hands.

"All right, go ahead an' git the ticket," he hurried. "I'll stay in yore room tull you git back."

"But where do you want to go?" groped Abner, staring at the money.

"Jest as fur as that money'll take me!" snapped Zed. "Go ahead!"

"But, Zed, what direction!" Abner gazed at his friend in the utmost stupefaction.

"Toward Texas I reckon. Now, git out an' git back. I want to ketch the noon train out on the edge of town before it gits too fast fer me to jump aboard."

"Zed!" cried Abner, curiosity overcoming his hill reticence, "what in the worl' have you went an' done?"

"Not a thing in the worl'," interrupted Zed with awful intensity. "I'm jest leavin', that's all. I jest decided I ain't goin' to stay here no longer. Now, go ahead—talkin' ain't gittin' me out o' this town!"

There was a way through the hall which avoided the dining room. Abner chose this instantly and set out at a fast walk through the house, out the gate, then up the street to the station. At the ticket office he had a difficult time in purchasing seventeen dollars and forty-five cents' worth of transportation toward Texas. Abner did not know whether Zed wanted to go through Birmingham, Memphis, or Shreve-