A man suffering frequent nervous breakdowns decides to spare his nearest and dearest the experience. He is Tim Rooney of South Carolina, who on the eve of his wedding recognizes the oncoming symptoms. So he cashes his savings and hits the road. The novel describes his blackouts, the various hitchhikers he picks up on the way and his plunge into madness in New York where he starts giving away his money. Fortunately, his fiancee catches up in time.
