Treasures on Earth

Fred Stevenson, a well-to-do architect, who died suddenly at the age of thirty-one (of a heart attack, he believes), is told by his portal warden that he has successfully passed his three-year probationary period and can enter Elysium

When Fred learns that this would preclude his returning to earth for another ten years, he declines Elysium for the opportunity to visit earth immediately as a spirit in order to find out how his widow and his unmarried sister are faring

On earth Fred discovers, to his consternation, that his widow and his sister are engaged to marry the same man, Tom, who is an obvious fortune hunter and a possible murderer. Tom searches furtively in Fred's den for an envelope, hidden there by Fred, containing a large sum of money as well as Fred's diary

To Fred's chagrin, Tom finds the envelope and takes it. Some of the diary's entries, interpreted in the light of subsequent events, indicate that Fred was murdered - by the last person he would have suspected. Worse, it appears that his murderer will escape scot-free because legal proof is lacking

A cunning trap is laid for the murderer. The murderer, after pretending to fall into it, succeeds in turning the tables on the plotters. When it seems as though two more murder victims will shortly join Fred, he asks the help of the portal warden

In an exciting climax, the murderer is thwarted just in the nick of time, and symmetry (or justice, as it is called on earth) triumphantly prevails

This clever and delightfully engrossing play won first prize in a nationwide playwriting contest

"Walden's typewriter has given the theatre a very funny - even hilarious - play There are many nuggets in this one Makes a highly amusing evening " ~ Arcadia (CA) Tribune