lookforhimaroundhere.”

    "Waitaminute,Laver’sgettingdarkandthispceisfullofprostitutesanddrugtraffickers,notasafepceforayounggirllikeyoutowanderaroundin．You’dbettergetintothatoldbeige-coloreddletmedriveyouaroundslowlyasyoulookforhim.”

    "Howdoyouknowmyname?"

    "IwassleepingintherosegardeerdayafternoonandoverheardyourtalkwithMark.”Laverneblushedwithembarrassmentassherecollectedthatseintherosegardenofthehalf-burnthouse．Butthemanbeforeherlookedkinda．However，shewashesitantaboutgettingintoacarwithastranger，notawisethingforayounggirltodo，shehadofteold．Dimitriseemedtodivihoughts．

    14

    "Don’tbeafraid．Ijustmeanttobeofhelp．Youdrive．Here’sthekey．Iwon’tevein,ifyouprefer.”Lavernesmiledherthanks．

    “Thereshouldn’tbeanyproblemifshewasintrolofthewheels”shethought，sotheygotintothedshestartedtheengine．

    "Becareful,"warnedDimitri．"Twoofthedersaredead,sothecaroftenstalls，that’swhyIdidn’twantyoutodrivealoraosay，inLaverne’shands，thecarstartedoutassmoothlyasifitwereabrandnewoseemedtohavealifeofitsownahatthisyoungwomanatthewheelwaslighterthanitsmistress，Megginn，andhadbetterandnimblerdrivingteiques．

    "Wow!Yourdrivingisreallyimpressive!Youworkwondersevenwiththisalmostunserviceableoldcar.”

    "There’snothingtoitreally．I’musedtotakingcareofsickpeopleandItreatthiscarasifitatientneedingtender,gentlecare.”

    "You’reahen?"

    "No.”Fromtheirrandomversatithedrive,DimitrigottoknowthatLavernelivedwithandtookcareofablind,paralyzedoldmother,aninvalidfatheraardedbrother．Theamazingthingwastheywerenobloodretionsofhers．Hemarveledathislumeetingagaianoodheartedyoungwoman．Hervoicewassweet,herwordsthoughfewwerecise,fullyexpressingherbrave,stoiccharacter．

    "You’resokindandgenerous，Laverne．Aren’ttoomanypeoplelikeyouaroundanymoreinthisworld.”

    "Notreally．TheybroughtmeupaheleastIcoulddowastoteheiroldage．It’snothingtabout.”Thecarcruisedaroundtheblocksasthenightgotdarker,butnotraarkwastobefound．Lavernebeganwaboutherparentsathomeneedientionandsobecamemoreandmitated．

    Thenightbefore，theJohnsonssataroundtheirdiningtable，enjoyingasumptuousmealofprimeribs,cmchowder,bakedpotatoes,boiledonion,creamedandFrenchrollswithbutter．Mark,whoseappetitewasenormous,felltoravenouslyandfinishedhissharequickly．Lavernesmiled，cuthalfofhersandputitonhispte，gdtoseehimenjoyinghisfoodsomuch．Mr．Johnson，meanwhile，hadcuthisportionintosmallpiedfromtimetotimefedorselstohiswife．Shecouldmuch，butwasinanexcellentmoodanddrankquiteabitofwine．Mr．Johnsonstaredattheredwineinhiscup,onwhichthewaveringdlelightflickeredlikeanimageofparadise.Drinkinghiswialkedandjokedwithhisfamilyatthediningtable,fullofanamiableatmosphereofhappiness．Littledidtheyknowitwastobetheirstmealtogether．AfterdinnerLavernehelpedtheoldcouplesettledowiredlingallday，theyoenjoyasweetslumberiledarkheyfelttirednotbecauseofover-exertion，butfrombeinguretdextendtheirlimbs．Markclearedawaythetableanddumpedeverythinginthesink,hishugeshadowfluctuatinginthedlelightashemovedabout，andthendisappearedfromviewwheuptohisroom．Lavernesthedle

lookforhimaroundhere.”

    "Waitaminute,Laver’sgettingdarkandthispceisfullofprostitutesanddrugtraffickers,notasafepceforayounggirllikeyoutowanderaroundin．You’dbettergetintothatoldbeige-coloreddletmedriveyouaroundslowlyasyoulookforhim.”

    "Howdoyouknowmyname?"

    "IwassleepingintherosegardeerdayafternoonandoverheardyourtalkwithMark.”Laverneblushedwithembarrassmentassherecollectedthatseintherosegardenofthehalf-burnthouse．Butthemanbeforeherlookedkinda．However，shewashesitantaboutgettingintoacarwithastranger，notawisethingforayounggirltodo，shehadofteold．Dimitriseemedtodivihoughts．

    14

    "Don’tbeafraid．Ijustmeanttobeofhelp．Youdrive．Here’sthekey．Iwon’tevein,ifyouprefer.”Lavernesmiledherthanks．

    “Thereshouldn’tbeanyproblemifshewasintrolofthewheels”shethought，sotheygotintothedshestartedtheengine．

    "Becareful,"warnedDimitri．"Twoofthedersaredead,sothecaroftenstalls，that’swhyIdidn’twantyoutodrivealoraosay，inLaverne’shands，thecarstartedoutassmoothlyasifitwereabrandnewoseemedtohavealifeofitsownahatthisyoungwomanatthewheelwaslighterthanitsmistress，Megginn，andhadbetterandnimblerdrivingteiques．

    "Wow!Yourdrivingisreallyimpressive!Youworkwondersevenwiththisalmostunserviceableoldcar.”

    "There’snothingtoitreally．I’musedtotakingcareofsickpeopleandItreatthiscarasifitatientneedingtender,gentlecare.”

    "You’reahen?"

    "No.”Fromtheirrandomversatithedrive,DimitrigottoknowthatLavernelivedwithandtookcareofablind,paralyzedoldmother,aninvalidfatheraardedbrother．Theamazingthingwastheywerenobloodretionsofhers．Hemarveledathislumeetingagaianoodheartedyoungwoman．Hervoicewassweet,herwordsthoughfewwerecise,fullyexpressingherbrave,stoiccharacter．

    "You’resokindandgenerous，Laverne．Aren’ttoomanypeoplelikeyouaroundanymoreinthisworld.”

    "Notreally．TheybroughtmeupaheleastIcoulddowastoteheiroldage．It’snothingtabout.”Thecarcruisedaroundtheblocksasthenightgotdarker,butnotraarkwastobefound．Lavernebeganwaboutherparentsathomeneedientionandsobecamemoreandmitated．

    Thenightbefore，theJohnsonssataroundtheirdiningtable，enjoyingasumptuousmealofprimeribs,cmchowder,bakedpotatoes,boiledonion,creamedandFrenchrollswithbutter．Mark,whoseappetitewasenormous,felltoravenouslyandfinishedhissharequickly．Lavernesmiled，cuthalfofhersandputitonhispte，gdtoseehimenjoyinghisfoodsomuch．Mr．Johnson，meanwhile，hadcuthisportionintosmallpiedfromtimetotimefedorselstohiswife．Shecouldmuch，butwasinanexcellentmoodanddrankquiteabitofwine．Mr．Johnsonstaredattheredwineinhiscup,onwhichthewaveringdlelightflickeredlikeanimageofparadise.Drinkinghiswialkedandjokedwithhisfamilyatthediningtable,fullofanamiableatmosphereofhappiness．Littledidtheyknowitwastobetheirstmealtogether．AfterdinnerLavernehelpedtheoldcouplesettledowiredlingallday，theyoenjoyasweetslumberiledarkheyfelttirednotbecauseofover-exertion，butfrombeinguretdextendtheirlimbs．Markclearedawaythetableanddumpedeverythinginthesink,hishugeshadowfluctuatinginthedlelightashemovedabout，andthendisappearedfromviewwheuptohisroom．Lavernesthedle