Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1922-09-15

and all the gentle lights Out Of the
eyes. It did, however, leave certain
lights but they we're such that their
remembrance brought no pleasure to
Bruce. They we're just a wild glare,
fixed, strange brightness as Of great
fear or insanity.
The Woman had kissed him and
gone quickly; and he had been too
young 70 remember II she had carried
any sort Of bundle close to her breast
Yet, the man considered. there must
have been such a bundle-Otherwise
he couldn't possibly account for Linda.
And there were no doubts about her,
at all.
OF course he had no memories Of
her that first day. nor for the first
years. But all later memories OF the
Square house always included her.
She must have been nearly four years
younger than himself; thus when he
was taken to the house she was only
an infant But thereafter. the nurses
put them together often; and when
Linda was able 10 talk, she called him
something that sounded Ike BwOva-
boo. She called him that so often that
for a long time he couldn't be sure
that wasn't his real name. Now, IN
manhood. he interpreted.
Brother Bruce, Of course. Linda
was Of course a sister"
Linda had been homely; even a
small boy could notice that Besides,
Linda was nearly six when Bruce had
left for good and he was then at an
age in which impressions begin 10
be lasting. Her hair vas quite blond
then, and her features rather irregular
But there had been a light in her eyes
By his word, there had been
She had been angry at him times in
plenty-over some childish game-and
he remembered how that light had
grown and Frightened. She had flung
az him too. He laughed ar the
memory Of her sudden, explosive ferOc-
ity-the way her hands had smacked
against his cheeks, and her sharp little
nails had scratched him Little Spit
fire." he sometimes called her; but
no one else could call her anything
but Linda. For Bruce had been an
able little fighter. even in those days.
He was fond of drawing pictures.
This vas nothing in itself; many lit
tie boys are fond OF drawing pictures.
Nor were his unusually good. Their
strangeness lay in his subjects. He
liked to draw animals in particular
the animals he read about in school
and in such books as were brought
70 him And sometimes he drew IN
dams and cowboys. And one day
when he wasn't half watching what
he was doing-he drew something
quite different.
Perhaps he wouldn't have looked at
il twice, II the teacher hadn't stepped
Up behind him and taken il out OF his
hands. It was geography" then. not
drawing" and he should have been
paying attention" And he had every
reason TO think that the teacher would
crumple up his picture and send him
10 the cIoak-room for punishment
But she did no such thing. When
her eyes glanced down. her fingers
slowly Strengthened. Then she looked
Alphabetically
what is this, BruceT' she asked
What have you been drawingT'
II don't know" the child an
swered. He looked and for an instant
let his thoughts go wandering here
and there. Those are trees" he
said. A word caught at his throat and
he blurted it out pines Pine trees,
growing on a mountain"
Not bad for a six-year-old boy"
the teacher commented. But where,
Bruce, have you ever seen or heard
Of such pines?" But Bruce did not
know.
Another puzzling adventure that
stuck in Rruee's memory had happened
only a few months after his arrival
at the Square house. when man had
taken him home on trial with the idea
0f adoption.
All the Incidents and details OF the
excursion with this prospective parent
xere extremely dim and vague. He
I'D not know 70 what city he went.
Dor had he any recollection whatever
y the people he met there. But he did
remember. with remarkable ciearness.
he perplexing talk that the man and /
he superintendent of the Square I
louise had together on bis return.
He wont DO" the stranger had I
sid. I tried him OUT and he won. .
~ ~ ~ my family. And I've fetched .
I'm hack.
Il believe 'n being frank. and resi- /
'0u there's something vicious .n fhat /
Ioys nsflre m came olf Tile very /
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