The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-09-01
BURIED TREASURE
BY MOLLY MINISTER.

David Gordon was digging noe
in the earth in WITCH to sink the
fourth upright of his rustic arbor.
When his spade hit aid opposed to
| view a battered CIi lin boz David
was projected back in his memory to
the days of playing pirate aud OF
buried treasure. The bold buccaneer
who had hid this particular box had
been a 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 q name and q 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 gag.
gest something familiar to hit,. It
even seemed a. II he had seen the
name Barbara Folsom In print. but
he could not recall when or where.
1T looks 6 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 .
! pirate, might now be doing mission
airy service in South Africa or the far
East. Surely not-heaven forbid!
= Mot a oirl ,yho hod opco hoop q pirato
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 Earb4~I Folsom-who was
! she? He Iound 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 his eye.
After all she's only wellknown
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 10 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 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 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 coy 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 ago
should be like.
Barbara Folsom Is only 4 pen
name" she explained, after she had
heard his story. II borrow the names
of my friends to lend dignity to my
work"
Then l 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 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,
'hAS 10 NAi' DdNAu NOIuOu Ol VIII Il
told you"
And almost before he had time to
recover his self-possession q charming
young woman, with merry eyes and
most unpiratical expression, held out
her hand in friendly greeting.
And now will see about some
tea hustled Mrs. Fraser, leaving
them together
Barbara was immensely interested
in the recovered treasure. She well
coined the sorry-looking doll as if she
were 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
beads to her heart and then clasped
it about her slender eek.
$50 you live in our old homestead"
she said. And | suppose you have a
crew of little pirates who are hiding
their treasure as l did so long ago."
Il am not married man." he an
swered simply, "but l do live in your
old home"
She sighed-rather wistfully. David
thought.
This is all most romantic" CHR
ruped Mrs. Fraser returning with
tea cart bearing the fragrant Oolopg