  The Herbig Ae star PDS2 (CD -53 251) is unusual in several ways. It has a
high Galactic latitude, unrelated to any known star-forming region. It is at
the cool end of the Herbig Ae sequence, where favorable circumstances
facilitate the determination of stellar parameters and chemical abundances. We
find $T_{\rm eff} = 6500$ K, and $\log(g) = 3.5$. The relatively low
$v\cdot\sin(i) = 12\pm2$ \kms made it possible to use mostly weak lines for the
abundances. PDS2 appears to belong to the class of Herbig Ae stars with normal
volatile and depleted involatile elements. This pattern is seen not only in
$\lambda$ Boo stars, but in some post AGB and RV Tauri stars. The appearance of
the same abundance pattern in young stars and highly evolved giants strengthens
the hypothesis of gas-grain separation for its origin. The intermediate
volatile zinc can violate the pattern of depleted volatiles.
