CHAPTERIII
Itisadreadfulthingtohateone’sownfather；tohatehimandbeunabletoforgivehimeventhoughheisdead，althoughhepaidforhissinwithhislife。Deathissaidtopayalldebts，buttherearesomeitcannotpay。TomyfatherIowedmypresentambitionless，idle，good—for—nothinglife，mymother’sillness，yearsofdisgrace，thelossofaname——everything。
Painewasmymother’smaidenname；shewaschristenedComfortPaine。MyownChristiannameisRoscoeandmymiddlenameisPaine。Myothername，thenameIwasbornwith，thenamethatMothertookwhenshemarried，wedroppedwhenthedisgracecameuponus。Itwashonoredandrespectedonce；nowwhenitwasrepeatedpeoplecoupleditwithshameandcrimeanddishonorandbrokentrust。
AsaboyIremembermyselfasaspoiledyoungsterwhotooktheluxuriesofthisworldforgranted。Iattendedanexpensiveandselectprivateschool，idledmywaythroughthatsomehow，andenteredcollege，ahappy—go—luckyyoungfellowwithmoneyinmypocket。Fortwo—thirdsofmyFreshmanyear——whichwasallI
experiencedofUniversitylife——Ienjoyedmyselfasmuchaspossible，andstudiedaslittle。Thencamethetelegram。I