Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-08-27
4 CODE OF
i SIGNALS


ftDHlt ttll mt tufl htthNse duf
thirty.eight. unmarried and wear spec
tacles | should not be interested in
young lovers. Nevertheless / am inter
ested In them and always expect to be.
We live on a short block fanked by
two long ones. From my bedroom win
| dow, in the rear, | can look out on the
| rear of two rows Of houses opposite
one another. This morning | saw
young man stand at a window of the
seventh house to the left watching
| window Of the third house to the right.
Presently beautiful girl appeared and
waved her handkerchief to him.
am not curious at all. My brother
Bob says am inordluately so, but I'm
not. Nevertheless. it being plain that
| the wave of the handkerchief was a
signal. a sign, message or something
OF the kind, naturally wondered what
| IL could be. / wished that II had APP
peared later in the day. for l was
obliged to keep watch at the window
all the afternoon and evening for fear
OF missing the next message. Nothing
appeared till after dark, when a can
die was left burning on the sill of the
young lady's Window shall call this
| No. and the other house No. for
half an hour. Ii went out suddenly,
and | went 10 bed.
The first signal had passed about 0
| O'Clock. Therefore the next morning
| began my watch few minutes be-
| fore o. As the clock struck the hour
the gentleman and the lady appeared
| mt their respective windows, She looked
troubled and held up a piece of paste
board on which was written in large
letters:
Tark at II .. m.
This was surely the time and place
| of an elopement. The man as soon az
he saw the message looked serious, but
| an elopement is a serious matter. and
was not surprised that this young
couple appreciated the Importance of
the step they were about to take. l
| did not expect any more messages, but
for fear OF missing one kept my place
at my window all day. After dark !
was about to give 1t up when red
light was put in the girls window.
That means that something has hap
| pened to prevent the elopement tonight.
| Red is danger signal. | shall look
anxlously for another cipher message
| In the morning.
lay awake half the night wondering
what had happened. l wished that l
| could help them. 1t might be they
needed n conhdant to make arrange
ments they could not make themselves.
| q a NOT ~ rrr
out their plans the next day would &C
into No. 3, call for the girl and offer
my services In the morning she held
up sign:
Tark 6. Haze o.
They're going to try 1t again. They
will meet at some place Mt this even
ing designated by the word "Tark."
But what does Haze o" mean? Why.
that the danger which threatened them
before has been eliminated. How stu
did of me not to see 1t at oncei Tonight
will tell. I'm sure the window viii
show light.
was not mistaken. The window did
show a light-not one, but two, anu
they were both red.
In the morning / awaited the cipher
message anxiously. 1t came later than
usual. and the poor girl looked dread
fully worried when she gave it. On the
pasteboard were the words;
Tark 10.
The man, too, looked worried. but
made a motion for the girl to wait.
Then. disappearing from the window
he returned presently and held up
placard:
o. X. this end; tonight sure,
could stand this no longer. Putting
on my hat and wraps | went around
the corner and rang the bell Mt No.
a The girl who had been displaying
cipher messages came to the door.
MAY speak with you momentT
l asked.
Certainly. Come In"
We went into a drawing room, and
mustered courage TO open the deli
cate subject.
pardon me If / seem ofticious," /
said, but have reason to believe that
you love gentleman who lives IN
one of the houses whose rear faces
yours"
She didn't blush at all. You are
right" she said. Her sensible way OF
coming right out helped me.
you need friend. i am that
friend. | have observed your signals,
your appointments and your disap-
pointments-"
Excuse me-" she interrupted. "iaVe
you had the measlesT
1.-THE measles? Why, no. What mas
that to do with the mattterT'
| ~only that my two children are
down with it, and If you should take
It It might go hard with you 1t al
ways does with elderly people"
"And the signals?" gasped.
''They were TO keep my husband,
who remained at home with our other
children. informed. We took this
house that we might separate the sick
from the we'll"