The San Francisco call., 1899-03-26
CALIFORNIA; GIRL is HEIRESS TO NEARLY TEN "

few days ago.
In the living room of the farmhouse sat
Thomas Wilson, a lawyer from Sydney,
Australia, who few moments before had
told Elsie that she was her uncle's heir
ess and could draw on his lawyers for
any amount till the estate is finally set
tied.
When he. first told us Elsie was dunn
founded, and thought the young Eng
lishman was joking. But he wasn't. He
had travelled almost around the world
searching for Elsie, and once having
found her lost no time in telling her OF
her good fortune.
You see" he told me afterward, 1T
had no doubt Of the young woman's iden-
tity, for Elsie Tyson resembles her uncle
so strongly that I could have picked her
out OF a crowd"
Then I went into the kitchen, where
Elsie was. She had slipped from her
chair onto the floor and sat all doubled
up with her head in her hand.
do you know, I almost tainted when
Mr.. Wilson told me of my good fortune"
she said. I laid my hand on her tum-
bled hair. I'VE all thought that Uncle
James was dead years ago. We had
heard that he was wealthy-but S10,0O0,-
900! I had no idea that 1t was so much.
And now ii is all mine. DO you hear me,
Carrie? I am rich. I can buy the world.
Everybody will be happy. Oh. am going
TO do lots of good.
mo more suffering from poverty, be-
cause l know what poverty Is. 1t crushed
out my fathers heart and took my moth
er's life. My brothers and sisters died
because Of poverty. No, no, no. there Will
he no more poverty, because I have So
600 900 and will stop all the heartaches in
the world"
And then Elsie Tyson forgot, tempor-
arily, all that had made her life worth
the living She had had her trials and
cares but she had also had her joys Her
simple rural pleasures she now put be-
hind her Her chickens and ducks and
turkeys, the little Jersey calf her pig
cons, her birds. her flowers and even the
neighbors she loved, all seemed TO go out
of her mind. She must begin using that
$4,000 600.
I tried to get her to tell me the details
Of how she came by her good fortune,
but she couldn't do it. Her mind was
on other things. I told her it was time
10 feed the turkeys. but she told me to
do II. you may have them all, car
RE" she said Il have $40 900 900 to spend
and have no time to look after poultry
Attorney Wilson came prepared to take
away his heress in proper style. Here's
little to start with he said as he emp
tied a leather money belt on the rough
kitchen table.
Gold, silver and bank notes lay in
glittering heap. It dazzled Elsie. even
though 1t was all hers, and it dazzled all
the rest of US. Ten thousand dollars,
said Mr.. Wilson, counting over the treas
ure II guess that will last until you get
TO San Francisco, where we can get con-
nection with the Bank Of England, so L
can identify you and arrange 1t so you
can write checks for almost any amount
you wish. You are indeed fortunate
girl"
The next morning an aunt Of Mr.. VIII
sons arrived at the Humboldt County
farmhouse. and that afternoon the three
left for San Francisco. It was arranged
that Elsie should stay at the home OF
Mr. Wilson's relatives until the final
proofs were made and she would be sole
mistress over one Of the largest estates
in Australia In the meantime she could
spend the $4,000 as she saw fit
And your credit will be good for many
times that amount" said Mr. Wilson,
"as soon as you are known at the
banks"
All day long on that last day at the
farm Elsie danced through the house. L
am rich! I am RICH" she kept saying.
She never went near the old treasures Of
her heart. They were as If they never
had been. Let me get away quick. 1
must see the world; l must know JOY;
must know greatness. I am so happy.
And to think that I am to make every
body else happy Oh, this is JOY. This IS
happiness. This IS life
Before leaving the old Humboldt Coun-
" farm Elsie gave literally to everybody
The friends who had given her home
after her mothers death were we'll pro-
vided for But Elsie went away without
a regret. AS she climbed onto the stage
she waved her hand as gayly as if she
were only going to picnic instead of
leaving her best friends forever
She's as heartless as stone, L
thought as 1 saw the stage roll over the
distant hill, and went into the farmyard
TO look after the fOcks that a few days
before had been such a pleasure to her.
A few DAYS later I saw Elsie in San
Francisco, domicied in an elegant home,
surrounded by every luxury, with every
want supplied.
ooh, I am so unhappy" were her first
words as she came forward to greet me.
Now that l can have everything I want,
don't know what I want. Everything
Is arranged and I am going to start for
Sydney. Australia, by way Of Scotland.
next week. You know, all my people
were Scotch
''But you will enjoy the trip 1 said
mo. no" she answered, II will not
How is my dear old white hen? Did she
hatch any chickens? You know they
should have come out last Thursday
And the big gobbler? DO my DUCKS qudck
as loudly as they used to? Sometimes [
used to think they made too much noise,
but now I would give worlds to hear
them. The dear things, they used TO give
me so much pleasure"
But you have money now, Elsie
said, land can have all the ducks and
chickens and things that you want"
The heiress to $1O.O00000 gave me look
I shall never forget.
Money" she said scornfully. Money
will not buy true friends; It will not buy
a home; it will not buy my dear old
white hen; it will not buy living beings
that love you I would just like to hold
the old white hen in my hand and press
it's soft down against my cheek. No,
money will not buy that feeling.
IAN this money has only brought me
loneliness. If father and mother and
brothers and sisters were only alive 1t
would be different. 1 could use II to
make them happy. But ! can only spend
II on myself. and when / feel that l can
have anything I wish there is no salts
faction in having It. 1 went into big
s.--zlrx- c+ora lac week and dia-