Harper's Young People, March 29, 1881 An Illustrated Weekly

In a bygone Wilmington, the streets hum with the chatter of a close‑knit town where Dutch Dolly runs a bustling vegetable garden and her husband, Tailor Vertz, fashions clothes and spins yarns for anyone who will listen. Though small of stature, the tailor is a magnet for the neighbourhood boys, delighting them with whistles, songs, and wooden trinkets he carves in his shop’s dim corner. His favorite pastime is telling stories of distant stars, secret charms, and a mysterious witch‑willow that is said to point the way to buried treasure.

The eager friends Ned Springer and Billy Shallcross spend hungry afternoons perched on the tailor’s bench, hanging on every word of his adventures. When Vertz suddenly declares that he has finally located the elusive witch‑willow, an electric thrill runs through the boys, promising a quest that could lead them beyond the familiar stone chimneys of old Jan Judson’s ruin. Their curiosity ignites, and the stage is set for a youthful search that mixes folklore, daring, and the promise of hidden riches.