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street. The teamsters entered this group breathing deeply.

Zed and the old man were just coming past. Tolbert carried his squirrel rifle carelessly, in his left hand, on the opposite side from Zed.

Mr. Parrum moved along with a set and painful grin on his face with which he answered the multi-faced grin of his cronies in the garage. He even essayed to wink and nod at the old man stalking at his side; he meant this to show that no matter what happened he was still the same old devil-may-care Zed Parrum.

Old man Tolbert himself glanced neither to the right nor the left but marched straight on with the cheeks and upper parts of his bewhiskered face looking as if they were chopped out of gray stone.

Abner was amazed beyond all experience and knowledge. He twitched to ask questions concerning this unparalleled scene, but this was impossible with Zed so close. Everyone else knew. The moment the two had passed, the crowd broke into the most significant winks and grins, and immediately fell in behind the pair.

Old man Tolbert and Zed pursued their way past several doors, past the Grand, Belshue's jewellery shop, a grocery, and came to a little dusty one-room frame building which was the law office of Buckingham Sharp. It was also the office Squire Meredith used when he was in town. The mysterious pair entered this building, and then, notwithstanding the heated day, closed the door with a bang.

However, there was no curtain to the dusty window. The garage gang framed that window, like bees around a hive. Abner half climbed another man's shoulder and in turn had his own shoulders occupied. Abner's view of the interior was somewhat interfered with by reflections. He saw a blue sky, a rolling summer cloud, the peak of the storehouse across the street. But by disregarding this skyey scene, he dimly made out Squire Meredith inside while before him stood Zed Parrum and a girl with their hands joined together.