Missouri, and raised in
northern Iowa."

He was silent for a moment, then continued: "I believe I told you one
day that sometime I'd give you a bit of my life; I guess now's as good
as any time, and when you've heard it, maybe you won't wonder at some
of my views.

"As I said, I was born in Missouri; when I was about three years old,
my folks moved to Iowa. I can just remember my father being with us at
that time, but I never saw him after I was three and a half or so, and
when I got old enough to think about it and ask for him, mother told
me he was dead, and I never knew anything different till years after.
We were always moving, I remember, from one place to another, and
though we never had any money saved up, yet we lived well and never
wanted for anything. Mother used to have a good deal of company, and
be away from home considerable, but she was always kind to me, and I
was a soft, warm-hearted, little chap in those days, and I know I
thought the world of her.

"We lived together till I was about ten years old, and then times
began to get pretty close; mother didn't have any money, and we had to
pinch to get along, but she was always good to me.

"Finally she decided to go to Denver; said she had heard of an opening
there for her to run a boarding house and make money, but she didn't
want to take me with her, and sent me to a brother of hers, living in
Ohio. That was the end of all happiness for me. He was a man old
enough to be my grandfather, for mother was the youngest of a large
family. He and his wife lived by themselves, for they had no children,
and a meaner, stingier old couple never lived. Mother wrote pretty
often at first, and always sent money, but don't you think I ever got
any of it. They never mentioned my mother to me, and they wouldn't let
me speak of her.

"Well, things went on from bad to worse, and finally, when I was
fourteen, I run away. I stole rides on freight cars when I could, and
when I couldn't do that, I tramped, till I got to St. Louis, and got a
place there in a third-class hotel as bell boy. While I was there, I
picked up a good many little accomplishments that have stuck to me
ever since, gambling and swearing, and so on. I got to be pretty
tough, I know, but in spite of it all, there was one good spot about
me yet,--I thought the world of my mother. I staid in St. Louis two
years; in that time I had only heard from mother twice, but she sent
me money both times, and wrote m