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"Whenever I ask, she says you don't want to know a man who deserted us Once I said nant, but she claims he knew for sure Then she clams up and refuses to talk anyabout hi back

"I keep thinking that maybe, maybe if I found out where he was, he would be interested in me and maybe help me and maybe I wouldn't be such a loser, at least not to him I know I am to everyone else"

"You're not a loser to me, Harley" "I will be," he insisted

"No, you won't You're going to bear down and study for your finals and pass all your tests so you can graduate Then you're going to try to be an architect, just like your art teacher told you"

"Sure," he said

"I'll help you study"

"You will?"

"If you promise to try, really try Will you?"

"I ," he added with a smile

"Uncle Roy doesn't want you to be a failure Harley He's just afraid"

"Roy? Afraid? That's the only man alive whose shadow stays a few extra feet back"

I laughed

"I don't fault hi else I haven't told you? I used to really idolize Roy, really look up to hi and as feared as he is I always thought it was better to have people afraid of you That's why I worked beside hih and as hard and I'd be all right

"One tiown ed hiuy down" "Why did he do that?"

"He heard the man call him a dirty name I bet every time that 'cracker' used a dirty na in boy's powerful hand and it choked hith inside him that even he doesn't realize"