The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-09-06
BURIED TREASURE
BY MOLLY MINISTER.

In the e2rtn IN WHICH 10 SinA IL
/ fourth upright Of his rustic arboI
When his spade hit and exposed T.
view q battered old tin box Davi'
was projected back in his memory L
the days Of playing pirate and o
buried treasure. The bold buccanee
who had hid this particular box hai
been Q female Captain Kidd. A sadly
mutilated doll. = string Of blue grss
, beads and . tiny leather purse wer'
the contents of the concealed recep
tacle. In time he managed to de
cipher . name and . date-"Barbar,
Folsom. 1900. August"
He put aside the box and proceeded
with his digging. The name Barbar,
fingered In his mind. however. and
In some vague way, 1t seemed to sug
gest something familiar to him. L
even seemed as II he had seen thu
name Barbara Folsom In print, bu
he could not recall when or where.
1T looks as II romance were MOI
entirely extinct" he laughed. I'D
like to find that girl and send her the
box for = birthday gift" This seemed
80 utterly absurd that he laughed
still more decidedly. For aught he
knew, Barbara Folsom. formerly 4
pirate. might now be doing mission
airy service in South Africa or the faI
East. Surely not-heaven forbid
Not girl who had once been q pirate
and buried q CASTOR doll and a string
of blue beads!
"And 1t seems to me that it is only
recently and in some magazine OF
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 MOTTO be-silenced
name Of Barbara Folsom-who was
she? He found his answer sooner
than he expected. 1t was the very
name itself under the title of the very
first piece Of magazine fiction which
met bis eye.
After all she's only a 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 ONCE 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 modest apartment house
in the Washington square neighbor-
hood. He carried a 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 SO many years ago. He had
quite resigned himself to the existence
OF Barbara junior who would prob
ably regard the battered doll with
scornful disdain.
David was ushered into . cozy lit.
tie room by Mrs. Fraser herself. She
proved to be a delightful little ma
tron. but he could not md in her the
faintest resemblance to his conception
OF what the child pirate of long ago
should be like.
Barbara Folsom is only a pen
name." she explained. after she had
heard his story. II borrow the names
OF my friends to lend dignity to my
work"
Then have not found my pirate
after ALL" he sighed rather dis
tressedly.
Lo-she comes!" laughed the little
matron, rising and taking into her
motherly arms a young woman who
mad entered just in time to hear
David's wistful observation. This
Is Barbara Folsom. use her name
oitener than any other nowadays be-
cause love her best of all Barbara
this is Mr.. David Gordon Of whc-a I |
told YOU"
And almost before he had time to
recover his self-possession a charming
young woman, with merry eyes and a |
most unpiratical expression, held out
ner hand in friendly greeting.
And now will see about soma
tea' hustled Mrs. Fraser, leaving
hem together.
Barbara was immensely Interested
n the recovered treasure. She vel.
,omed the sorry-looking doll as IL she
we're a long-lost relative and her
bright eyes moistened at sight of the
little purse and its cabalistic slips of
PAPER. She Rugged the string of
reads to her heart and then clasped
about her slender neck.
So you live in our old homestead
me said. And | suppose you have a
rev OF little pirates who are hiding
heir treasure as did so long ago."
I am not q married man." he an.
~ered simply. but | do live in your
Id home"
She sighed-rather wistfully. David
bought.
This is all most romantic" CHR.
uped Mrs. Fraser returning with a
ca cart bearing the fragrant Oolone
nd cakes, Il have just had an in.
piration for new story. The hero,n.
to be youthful Captain Kidd in
ettieoats and she is to be captured