St. Paul daily globe., 1892-05-15
MODERN RoMEo's FATE.
He Bent Forward Tor Kisses and
Fell Into Cistern.

James krOSbeck, or III Gates ave-
nue., Brooklyn, has been courting under
difficulties of late, and had an expert
ence early yesterday morning that he
will not forget for some time, says the
New York World.
He has been keeping company with
one Girl. She is Lena Strilsus. and she
lives in a big fiat house on Deskalb ave-
nue.. near Evergreen avenue. Her blg
brown ewes, Wavy hair and lissome
figure vindicate her Sweetheart'S choice
and faithfulness. But her father and
her two brothers objected and forbade
him entering the house or seeing MS
sweetheart ar any other place.
The freedom of the door being denied
him. he proceeded 10 cast about for
some other means by which he might
eniov his SWeetheartS society. Ana ne
found it.
At the rear of the flats in which the
Strisus tamnly live is an extension
which is used as q general wash ana
storage house by the tenants or the
building. The roof of the extension
nearly reaches the third-story windows
of the main building. 1t is on the thlrd
floor that James sweetheart lives.
Two-thirdS of the roof of the extern
sion is taken up by rain water clstern,
the contents of which are much priced
bv the users of the waShtubS. A couple
or windows give light to the interior OF
the extension.
Now, an alley runs from the street to
the rear of the flats, which is never
closed. day or night. james looked over
the ground and tnen laid his plans or
campaign.
Tie following night Lena, just after
she had retired to her bedroom, heard
tapping at her window. She was about
to scream, and then thought better of it.
The tap was repeated, ana the girl
mustered courage enough to peep out.
Balanced on the edge Ut the clSteru was
her lover.
James had managed to crawl by means
of the window sills to the top or the eX-
tension. Then he had with difficulty
walked along the edge OF the clsterh 10
the bedroom WINDOW,
OF course. James devotion and pluck
met with their reward at the lips OF
Lena. and when he descended from his
lofty perch he felt as If he had LETT
heaven above him.
For couple of weeks James made
stolen and successful visits TO his sweet
heart. and the couple congratulated
themselves on evading the vigilance or
the stern parent. But the catastrophe
came at last.
Late Wednesday night James was
balanced Oh the ciStern edge. The III
terYiew had been a particularly pleas
ant one. and the young fellow was III the
act of making his adIeuS. At this Junct-
ure Lena ina gined that she heard her
father trying her door. Frightened out
of her wits. she begged James to de-
scend. He, too, was pretty badly
scared. He bent forward for his part
ing kisses, then tried TO move quickly,
slipped, endeavored to recover hlmSelf,
and went splash into the ciStern.
The water in the receptacle is f0ur
feet deep. The walls Of the cistern 1t
self are about six feet high. The result
was that James found himself up to his
waist in ICY water and frantically grab
bing at the slippery sides of the clstern..
The splash, James involuntary shoIt
as he went in head-fOremoSt, and Lena'S
sympathetic scream raised the house
hold. Then there was. as ono of the
neighborS put it, "a time"
TO make long story short, Mr.. Strll--
sus himself hauled out the drenched and
shivering lover. The spectacle that
James presented disarmed the anger OF
Lena's parents, and half hour later
young Krosbeck, with dry clothes on
his back, steaming glass OF t0ddy IN
his hand, and Lena beaming oil him,
was enjoying the friendship of. the
house from which he had been so long
OstraciSed.