The Adair County news., 1922-10-03
CHAPTER II

Before the gray dawn came over the
land Bruce Duncan had started west
ward. He had no self-amazement at
the lightning decision. He was only
strangely and deeply exultant.
The reasons why went too deep
within him to be easily seen. In the
first place, it was adventure-and
Bruce's life had not been very adven-
turous heretofore. Then there was a
sense of immeasurable relief at his
| sudden and unexpected freedom from
the financial problems his father had
| left. He would have no more consul
tations with impatient creditors, no
| more would he strive to gather to-
gether the ruins of the business, and
attempt to salvage the small remain
| ing fragments Of his fathers fortune.
He had no plans, he didn't know which
way to turn. All at once, through the
message that Barney had brought him,
he had seen clear trail ahead. 1t
last that mattered.
| Finally there remained the eminent
fact that this was an answer to his
dream. He was going toward Linda,
at last. The girl had been the one
living creature In his memory that he
had cared for and who cared for him
the one person whose interest in him
was real. Linda, the little "spitfre"
Of his b0yhood, had suddenly become
the one reality In his world, and as he
I thought of her, his memory reviewed
the few impressions he had retained
Of his childhood!
First was the Square house-the
rphanage-where the Woman had
turned him over to the nurse in
charge. Sometimes, when tobacco
smoke was heavy upon him, Bruce
could catch a very dim and fleeting
glimpse of the Woman's face. It was
only glimpse, only the faintest blur
In half-tOne, and then quite gone. Yet
he never gave up trying.
The few times that her memory
picture did come to him, 1t brought
a number Of things with 1t. One of
them was great md overwhelming
realization Of some terrible tragedy
and terror the nature of which he
could not even guess. H..
"She's been through fire." the nurse
told the doctor when he came in and
the door had closed behind the Woman.
Bruce did remember these words, be-
cause many years elapsed before he
completely puzzled them out. The
nurse hadn't meant such fires as swept
| 10 70
forests Of the Northwest. 1t was some
other, dread fire that scared the spirit
and burned the bloom out of the face
and all the gentle lights out of the
eyes. 1t did, however, leave certain
lights, but they were such that their
remembrance brought no pleasure to
Bruce. They were just a wild glare,
a fixed, strange brightness as of great
fear or insanity.
The Woman had kissed him and
gone quickly; and he had been too
young to remember if 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,
4 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 to talk, she called him
something that sounded like Bwova-
boo. She called him that so often that
for 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 to
be lasting. Her hair was quite blond
then, and her features rather Irregular
But there had been light in her eyes
/ BY his word, there had been!
She had been angry at him times in
plenty-over some childish game-anC
he remembered how that light ha6
grown and frightened. She had f1unl
at him too. He laughed at the
memory of her sudden, explosive feroc
ity-the way her hands had smacket
5 against his cheeks, and her sharp little
t nails had scratched him Little Spit
fire." he sometimes called her; bu
q no one else could call her anything
$ but Linda. For Bruce had been al
+ able little fighter, even in those days
a 2