“Very well, I will do the best I can to tell the tale in a readable manner.” “To begin with, I am a native of Southern Missouri. My parents being Scotch, I feel that my ancestry is traceable through a long line of descendants. My father was engaged in the lumber business. It was his custom to buy large tracts of timber land, then placing his mill at convenient points he would proceed to convert all the available timber into marketable lumber. Money proved to be the blessing and curse, which was eventually the cause of more suffering than one cares to bear. “Years ago my father purchased a body of land in Arkansas, covering an area of twelve thousand acres. In the transaction he became financially involved to such an extent that he was compelled to go for assistance to some of the large dealers to whom he was in the habit of selling the greater part of his output. At this call for aid a man came to our home to talk the matter over. He had the appearance of being a man of fifty years of age; he was wealthy, very wealthy; he remained there for ten days, during which time he seemed to grow very fond of me as a child and would often pat me on the head, coaxingly calling me his little girl. “After he had gone, I overheard my parents talking. Father said, ‘Well, that is a load off my mind.’ ‘And one off mine,’ said my mother. Then she broke down and cried. Between the sobs I could gather but little. However, I heard her say, ‘I know she will never be happy.’ “I had not the slightest idea to whom she referred. Next morning she called me to her. ‘Dear,’ she said, ‘you are going away.’ “‘Oh, where to?’ I cried in my childish delight and anticipation of travel. “Noting my eagerness and mistaking it for joy at leaving home, my mother, with tears streaming down her dear white face, said, ‘Are you happy to think of it?’ “‘No, not that, mother,’ said I, ‘but I should like to see and learn of things which I have heard so much about and have known so little.’ “‘Well, dear, you are to go away from us and go into school. We, your father and I, have concluded that it is best.’ “‘But mamma, won’t that cost a great deal of money?’ “‘Yes, but your father now has his affairs in shape so that he can afford to educate you.’ “As my mother finished this last sentence a fresh torrent of tears sprang from her eyes. It was all a mystery to me, for I had known of my father’s difficulties; I could not understand the sudden turn of affairs. I quickly resolved upon a plan which would at least enlighten me; there was in the employ of my father a young man by the name of Landrie Grayson, everyone called him ‘Lannie.’ He was a trusted man of affairs; things which other men were never consulted upon were always brought to Lannie for his advice. Lannie could explain to me the cause of this sudden resolution on the part of my parents.