The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-09-03
BURIED TREASURE
Dy MOLLY MINISTER.

Observation-Disclosures:
David Gordon was digging q hol
in the earth in which to sink tn
I fourth upright of his rustic arboI
When his spade hit and exposed +
view q battered old tin box Davi,
was projected back in his memory Il
the days Of playing pirate and o
I buried treasure. The bold buccanee
! who had hid this particular box haa
been q female Captain Kidd. A sadly
| mutilated doll, string Of blue grass
beads and . tiny leather purse wer'
the contents Of the concealed recep
tacle. In time he managed to de
cipher . name and . date-"Barbars
Folsom, 1900. August"
He put aside the box and proceeded
with his digging. The name Barbara
fingered in his mind. however, and
in some vague way, It seemed to sug
gest something familiar to him. II
even seemed as II he had seen the
name Barbara Folsom in print, but
he could not recall when or where.
1T looks as II romance were not
entirely extinct" he laughed I'D
like to find that girl and send her the
box for q birthday gift" This seemed
so utterly absurd that he laughed
still more decidedly. For aught he
knew, Barbara Folsom. formerly .
pirate. might now be doing mission
airy service in South Africa or the far
East. Surely not-heaven forbid!
Not a girl who had once been q pirate
and buried cast-off doll and string
Of blue beads!
"And it seems to me that it is only
recently and in some magazine or
other that have seen that name" he
reflected.
When he had finished setting the
uprights he went in to dinner, still
bearing with him the not-to-be- silenced
name of Barbara Folsom-who was
she? He found his answer sooner
than he expected. It was the very
name itself under the title of the very
hrst piece of magazine fiction which
met his eye.
After all she's only q well-known
woman" he sighed regretfully, for Da-
vid did not take kindly to literary
women.
Still. for some reason he could hard.
ly fathom. he was prompted to write
to the magazine office and ask Bar.
bara Folsom for her address and the
privilege Of calling on her.
Barbara Folsom not only replied by
mail, but intimated graciously that
she should be glad to see him at her
home on the following afternoon. In
cidentally. she confessed that she was
Mrs. John Fraser in private life.
Still. he felt no slight degree of un.
certainty as to the wisdom Of his
procedure as he stood before the en-
trance OF a modest apartment house
in the Washington square neighbor-
mood. He carried bag in which was
the pirates treasure and he wondered
what memories it would inspire in the
mind OF the one to whom it had be.
longed 30 many years ago. He had
quite resigned himself to the existence
u Barbara junior who would prob.
ably regard the battered doll with
'cornful disdain.
David was ushered into q COY lit.
lie room by Mrs. Fraser herself. She
proved to be q delightful little ma.
ron. but he could not ind in her the |
aintest resemblance to his conception
u what the child pirate Of long ago |
hould be like.
Barbara Folsom 10 only q Don
lame,' she explained, after she had
leard his story. IT borrow the names
II my friends to lend dignity to my
york"
Then have not found my pirate
tier ALL" he sighed rather dis
ressedly.
Lo-she comes!" laughed the little
natron, rising and taking into her
notherly arms young woman who
al entered Just in time to hear
)avid's wistful observation This
Barbara Folsom. l use her name
ftener than any other nowadays be.
ause love her best of all. Barbara.
his is Mr.. David Gordon Of whom
Did YOU" i
And almost before he had time to
ecover his self-possession q charming
Dung woman. with merry eyes and a
lost unpiratical expression, held out
er hand in friendly greeting.
And now I will see about some
"a, hustled Mrs. Fraser, leaving
lem together.
Barbara was immensely interested
the recovered treasure She wei.
'med the sorry-looking doll as if she
ere long-lost relative and her
right eyes moistened at sight of the
title purse and its cabalistic slips of
aper. She Rugged the string of
eads to her heart and then clasped
about her slender neck.
so you live in our old homestead.
lie said. And | suppose you have a
ew Of little pirates who are hiding
eir treasure as l did so long ago?"
1 am not a married man." he an.
sered simply. but do live in your
d home"
She sighed-rather wistfully, David
ought.
This is all most romanttcp al.
ped Mrs. Fraser returning with a II
cart bearing the fragrant Oolone II
d cakes at have ;,.. L., II