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Since Abner was walking without any objective at all, the little suggestion that Attorney Sharp had given him to see Ditmas presently took control of the youth's automatism and Abner found himself walking eastward from the square, down a rocky lane toward the engineer's boarding house. It was not until Abner came in sight of a drooping willow in the front yard that he realized this place was his destination.

"Why, sure," he thought to himself, "that's where Ditmas boards." He scrutinized the house. It was one of those self-respecting little cottages with a tiny front porch and two doors opening on to it, so that the guest room was entirely cut off from the rest of the household. A man sat on the porch in the comfortable sunshine, and as Abner drew nearer he was surprised to see that it was Zed Parrum. Abner stared at Zed for several moments before he agreed with his eyes that it really was Zed. Then he wondered why the teamster should be there. He could not imagine any business Parrum could have with Mr. Ditmas.

"Hello, Zed," he called. "What in the world you doin' up here?"

The labourer replied in the guarded tone one uses in the hearing of the sick, "I jest come up from camp with Mr. Ditmas."

A shock travelled through Abner. "What's the matter with Mr. Ditmas?"

Zed drew a long face. "Overwork."

"Overwork! An edjercated man overworkin'?"

Zed winked solemnly, "Overwork from drawin' corks."

Abner stopped at the gate, staring fixedly at Zed's rough-hewn face as the teamster's amazing implication seemed to swing around in his head.

"You don't mean to say—Mr. Ditmas is drunk. . . ."

"I didn't mean to tull you ast me."

"Well, I be dern—drunk! Mr. Ditmas drunk!" Abner stood at the gate, staring at Zed.

"Yep," grunted Parrum noncommitally.