Final answer:
The 7-word phrase indicating the boy's loneliness or exhaustion in "The Loner" is "the boy trudged wearily through the desolate town."
Step-by-step explanation:
From paragraph two, sentence five of "The Loner," the 7-word phrase that conveys the boy's loneliness or exhaustion is "the boy trudged wearily through the desolate town." This phrase captures both the physical fatigue of the boy as he trudges, indicating a slow, tired movement, and his sense of isolation with the use of the word desolate to describe the town. The author effectively creates a vivid image of the boy's experience in a few precise words.