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ard； of manure and growing corn and pea vineries； and the unwashed clothes of this boy beside him had absorbed all these familiar odors。
And there were the clothes themselves。 Mrs。 Farren must have been awful sick； Buddy thought； if she sent her boy off down the road in ripped jeans so stiff with dirt the wrinkles seemed bronzed。 And the shoes！ Lewis Farren's sneakers were about to fall off his feet； the laces all spliced together and the fabric split or worn through in a couple of places on each shoe。
'So they got yore daddy's car； did they； Lewis？' Buddy asked。
'Just like I said； that's right…the lousy cowards came out after midnight and just stole it right out of the garage。 I don't think they should be allowed to do that。 Not from people who work hard and really are going to start making their payments as soon as they can。 I mean； do you？ You don't； do you？'
The boy's honest； sunburned face was turned toward him as if this were the most serious question since the Nixon Pardon or maybe the Bay of Pigs； and all Buddy's instincts were to agree…he would be inclined to agree with any generally good…hearted opinion uttered by a boy so redolent of farm work。 'I guess there's two sides to everything when you e down to it；' Buddy Parkins said； not very happily。 The boy blinked； and then turned away to face forward again。 Again Buddy felt his anxiety； the cloud of worry that seemed to hang over the boy； and was almost sorry he had not given Lewis Farren the agreement he seemed to need。
'I suppose yore aunt's in the grade school there in Buckeye Lake；' Buddy said； at least in part hoping to lighten the boy's misery。 Point to the future； not the past。
'Yes； sir； that's right。 She teaches in the grade school。 Helen Vaughan。' His expression did not change。
But Buddy had heard it again…he didn't consider himself any Henry Higgins； the professor guy in that musical； but he knew for certain sure that young Lewis Farren didn't talk like anyone who had been raised in Ohio。 The kid's voice was all wrong； too pushed…together and full of the wrong ups and downs。 It wasn't an Ohio voice at all。 It especially was not a rural Ohioan's voice。 It was an accent。
Or was it possible that some boy from Cambridge； Ohio； could learn to talk like that？ Whatever his crazy reason might be？ Buddy supposed it was。
On the other hand； the newspaper this Lewis Farren had never once unclamped from beneath his left elbow seemed to validate Buddy Parkins's deepest and worst suspicion； that his fragrant young panion was a runaway and his every word a lie。 The name of the paper； visible to Buddy with only the slightest tilt of his head； was The Angola Herald。 There was that Angola in Africa that a lot of Englishmen had rushed off to as mercenaries； and there was Angola； New York…right up there on Lake Erie。 He'd seen pictures of it on the news not long ago； but could not quite remember why。
'I'd like to ask you a question； Lewis；' he said； and cleared his throat。
'Yes？' the boy said。
'How e a boy from a nice little burg on U。S。 Forty is carrying around a paper from Angola； New York？ Which is one hell of a long way away。 I'm just curious； son。' The boy looked down at the paper flattened under his arm and hugged it even closer to him； as if he were afraid it might squirm away。 'Oh；' he said。 'I found it。'
'Oh； hell；' Buddy said。
'Yes； sir。 It was on a bench at the bus station back home。'
'You went to the bus station this morning？'
'Right before I decided to save the money and hitch。 Mr。
Parkins； if you can get me to the turnoff at Zanesville； I'll only have a short ride left。 Could probably get to my aunt's house before dinner。'
'Could be；' Buddy said； and drove in an unfortable silence for several miles。 Finally he could bear it no longer； and he said； very quietly and while looking straight ahead； 'Son； are you running away from home？'
Lewis Farren astonished him by smiling…not grinning and not faking it； but actually smiling。 He thought the whole notion of running away from home was funny。 It tickled him。 The boy glanced at him a fraction of a second after Buddy had looked sideways； and their eyes met。
For a second； for two seconds； three 。 。 。 for however long that moment lasted； Buddy Parkins saw that this unwashed boy sitting beside him was beautiful。 He would have thought himself incapable of using that word to describe any male human being above the age of nine months； but underneath the road…grime this Lewis Farren was beautiful。 His sense of humor had momentarily murdered his worries； and what shone out of him at Buddy…who was fifty…two years old and had three teenage sons…was a kind of straightforward goodness that had only been dented by a host of unusual experiences。 This Lewis Farren； twelve years old by his own account； had somehow gone farther and seen more than Buddy Parkins； and what he had seen and done had made him beautiful。
'No； I'm not a runaway； Mr。 Parkins；' the boy said。
Then he blinked； and his eyes went inward again and lost their brightness； their light； and the boy slumped back again against his seat。 He pulled up a knee； rested it on the dashboard； and snugged the newspaper up under his bicep。
'No； I guess not；' Buddy Parkins said； snapping his eyes back to the highway。 He felt relieved； though he was not quite sure why。 'I guess yore not a runaway； Lewis。 Yore something； though。'
The boy did not respond。
'Been workin on a farm； haven't you？'
Lewis looked up at him； surprised。 'I did； yeah。 The past three days。 Two dollars an hour。'
And yore mommy didn't even take the time out from bein sick to wash yore clothes before she sent you to her sister； is that right？ Buddy thought。 But what he said was 'Lewis； I'd like you to think about ing home with me。 I'm not saying yore on the run or anything； but if yore from anywhere around Cambridge I'll eat this beat…up old car； tires and all； and I got three boys myself and the youngest one； Billy； he's only about three years older'n you； and we know how to feed boys around my house。 You can stay about as long as you like； depending on how many questions you want to answer。 'Cuz I'll be asking em； at least after the first time we break bread together。'
He rubbed one palm over his gray crewcut and glanced across the seat。 Lewis Farren was looking more like a boy and less like a revelation。 'You'll be wele； son。'
Smiling； the boy said； 'That's really nice of you； Mr。 Parkins； but I can't。 I have to go see my； ah； aunt in 。 。 。 '
'Buckeye Lake；' Buddy supplied。
The boy swallowed and looked forward again。
'I'll give you help； if you want help；' Buddy repeated。
Lewis patted his forearm； sunburned and thick。 'This ride is a big help； honest。'
Ten nearly silent minutes later he was watching the boy's forlorn figure trudge down the exit ramp outside Zanesville。 Emmie would probably have brained him if he'd e home with a strange dirty boy to feed； but once she'd seen him and talked to him； Emmie would have brought out the good glasses and the plates her mother had given her。 Buddy Parkins didn't believe that there was any woman named Helen