Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-08-31
BURIED TREASURE
BY MOLLY MINISTER.


David Gordon was digging a hole
in the earth in which to sink the
fourth upright of his rustic arbor.
When his spade hit and exposed to
view battered old tin box David
was projected back in his memory to
the days of playing pirate and OF
buried treasure. The bold buccaneer
who had hid this particular box had
been female Captain Kidd. A sadly
mutilated doll, 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 name and a date" Barbara
/ 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. It
even seemed as If 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 birthday gift" This seemed
SO utterly absurd that he laughed
still more decidedly For aught he
knew, Barbara Folsom. formerly q
pirate, might now be doing mission.
airy service in South Africa or the far
East. Surely not-heaven forbid!
Not girl who had once been a pirate
and buried CASTOR doll and string
of blue beads!
"And 1t seems to me that 1t 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
first piece of magazine fiction which
met his eye.
after all she's only 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 a. he stood before the en-
trance Of . modest apartment house
In the Washington square neighbor'
hood 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 90 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 . cory lit
! tie room by Mrs. Fraser herself. She
proved to be delightful little ma
iron, but he could not find in her the
faintest resemblance to his conception
OF what the child pirate Of long age
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
work"
Then I have not found my pirate
after ALL" he sighed rather dis
tressedly.
"Lo-she comes!" laughed the little
matron, rising and taking into heI
motherly arms a young woman who
had entered just in time to hear
David's wistful observation. This
is Barbara Folsom. l use her name
oftener than any other nowadays be
cause love her best of all. Barbara
this is Mr.. David Gordon of whom
told you"
And almost before he had time tc
recover his selfpossession charming
young woman, with merry eyes and q
most unpiratical expression. held out
her hand in friendly greeting.
"And now I will see about some
tea" hustled Mrs. Fraser, leaving
them together.
Barbara was immensely interested
in the recovered treasure. She wei
coined the sorry-looking doll as If she
were a long-lost relative and hel
bright eyes moistened at sight Of the
little purse and its 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 q
crew of little pirates who are hiding
their treasure as / did SO long ago"
T am not married man." he an
swered simply, "but do live in your
old home"