The San Francisco call., 1899-03-26

Joy is more than can see. 1t is nice to
have it and know that poverty is no
more, but 1 wish-I don't know what 1
wish, except that I am unhappy. Per-
haps if the money had never come to
me I might never have known the pain
of having it, but now il almost drives
me frantic with the fear that l may
lose it.
And then to think Of how I come by
1t. Poor old Uncle James died all alone
in a rough cabin away out in the wilds
of Australia. l don't suppose he ever
heard of me, and now all his wealth is
mine.
They say he looked like father, and
can almost see him now as he lay groan-
ing in pain on his rough bed all alone,
Just as I am now"
Then Elsie Tyson burst into tears and
I knew that her heart was not as hard
as il had seemed 10 me on that day when
she drove away from the Humboldt
County farm, leaving poverty and hap
piness behind her and going out into the
world to take her place in the ranks of
wealth.
Then Elsie told me the story of her
fathers family and the chain of strange
incidents that led up to her fortune. 1t
is long story and goes back to the be-
ginning of the century At that time
there lived in a little town in Scotland,
on the estate of the Duke of Argyle, a
farmer named Thomas Tyson. There was
a great graystone old-fashiOned house
with parlors furnished with precise
sduarely set furniture, always darkened
and locked except on very state occa-
sions. Little less than wedding or fun
eral ever saw the front of the house in
use All the life centered around the
great brick-foored kitchen, where the
big joints turned on the spits before the
kitchen fire.
Then there were already five little sons
playing about the farmyard among the
calves and poultry. The eldest, a boy
Of only 10 years. knew that he would
have TO make his own way in the world
and leave the old place to take care Of
the others. His father, a hard-hearted
Scotchman, said VERY we'll" but the
mothers heart ached as she put into the
new tin trunk the clothing she had made
for her son. his only earnest of the for
tune he was to find in far-off Australia.
So the boy left home. 1t was months
before they heard from him, but at last
a letter. like the first chapter from Rob
inson Crusoe," came to the quiet old
home farm" Many letters passed be-
tween the mother and her boy When
the mother had been dead 40 years and
her boy was an old man of 10 these old
letters were found in the iron box where
James Tyson kept his deeds and the re-
ceipts of all his great wealth When he
was dead these letters were used to
trace his birth back to Scotland The
old church register told Mr. WILSON, the
attorney that three of the sons and four
daughters born after James went to Aus
tralia lay buried with their parents out
side in the churchyard. The name OF
one son only. Thomas. appeared beside
James on the birth record and not among
the deaths.
Where was Thomas? He had married
ELIZA Coates, spinster,' AZ years before
and sailed for America. Twenty years
later, at his fathers death, he had re-
turned and settled up his fathers estate
and gone back to America.
Attorney Wilson followed the trail OF
Thomas to America and to the only ad-
dress he habitat given in a letter from
little boy. Jimmie" who wrote to his
uncle in Australia go years ago.
1t took the lawyer to Orange, N I.
There he found the record of little jim
mics death as eldest son" of Thomas
and Eliza Tyson
"Of course" said Mr. Wilson, II rea-
soned if Jimmie were the eldest SON
there must be younger ones. I could find
no trace of the family and every one
had forgotten them. Almost despairing
of the lost heirs. I started into the ceme-
terry where Jimmie was buried I was
surprised to see that the little grave was
in much better condition than any of the
other graves. There was some attempt
at flowers and the little marble cross had
evidently been placed on the grave much
later than the grave itself had been
made. 1t gave me an idea. I hunted up
the old verger, or caretaker, as you call
him. He as decrepit as the graves
he kept. But he had bright little
grandchild. While I was asking about
the grave she exclaimed:
oh, grandpa, I know. That is the
grave the lady used to write about, and
she sent some money. No don't you re-
l had some Of the money be-
cause 1 kept the weeds pulled up. Oh, 1
Cant you find me one of those old
letters?' / asked
1.-The little girl ran up stairs and pretty
soon came down all dusty, with her
checks red with excitement. She had a
bundle Of letters. and I found several
written by Eliza Coates and giving ner
address.
81 went to Illinois. The house was gone
whose number Mrs. Tyson had given. I
went to the records again and the ceme-
terry There were five little Tyson graves,
and with them the grave Of father Thorn