The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1915-10-16
BURIED TREASURE
BY MOLLY

in the earth in which to sink tn
fourth upright of his rustic arbor
When his spade hit and exposed t.
view a battered old tin box DaviC
was projected back in his memory t
the days of playing pirate and Of
buried treasure. The bold buccaneel
who had hid this particular box had
been a female Captain Kidd. A sadly
mutilated doll, a string of blue grass
beads and a tiny leather purse were
the contents of the concealed recep'
tacle. In time he managed to de
cipher a name and a date-"Barbars
Folsom, 1900, August"
He put aside the box and proceeded
with his digging. The name Barbara
In some vague way, 1t seemed to sug-
gest something familiar to him. 1t
even seemed as If he had seen the
name Barbara Folsom in print, but
he could not recall when or where.
ut looks as II romance were not
entirely extinct" he laughed. I'D
like to find that girl and send her the
box for a birthday gift" This seemed
SO utterly absurd that he laughed
still more decidedly. For aught he
knew, Barbara Folsom, formerly a
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 a pirate
and buried a CASTOR doll and a string
Of blue beads!
"And it seems to me that ii 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 MOTTO e-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
me- his eye.
After all she's only a well-known
woman he sighed regretfully, for Da-
vid did lot 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-
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
ably regard the battered doll with
s%cornful disdain.
David was ushered into a coy lit
tie room by Mrs. Fraser herself. She
proved to be a delightful little ma
iron, but he could not find 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. Il borrow the names
OF my friends to lend dignity to my
Then I have not found my pirate
aA," he sighed rather dis
tressedly.
"Lo-she comesl" laughed the little
matron, rising and taking into her
motherly arms a young woman who
had entered just In time to hear
David's wistful observation. This
ls Barbara Folsom. | use her name
oftener than any other nowadays be-
| love her best OF all. Barbara.
is Mr.. David Gordon of whom |
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
her hand in friendly greeting.
And now | will see about some
hustled Mrs. Fraser, leaving
them together.
Barbara was immensely interested
the recovered treasure. She well
coined the sorry-looking doll as If she
a long-lost relative and her
bright eyes moistened at sight of the
little purse and It's cabalistic slips OF
paper. She Rugged the string OF
beads to her heart and then clasped
It about her slender neck.
$50 you live in our old homestead"
she said. And suppose you have a
crew of little pirates who are hiding
their treasure as did SO long ago?"
Il am nj a married man." he an