Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-07-09
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Code of Signals
foriginal.I

tacles / should not be intere sted in
young lovers. Nevertheless l am inter
ested in them and always expect to he.
We live on a short blocl; 1lanked by
two long ones. From my bedroom win
| dow, III the rear, ! can look out on the
rear OF two rows CT houses opposite
one another. This morning / saw Il
young man stand at window of the
seventh house To the left watching II
window of the third house to the right.
Presently beautiful girl appeared and
waved he. handkerchief to him.
am not curious at ALL My brother
Bob says L am inordinately SO, but I'm
not. Nevertheless, il being plain that
the wave of the handkerchief was II
signal, sign, message or something
OF the Kind, L naturally wondered what
| 1t could be. l wished that il had APP
| peared later in the day, for | was
| obliged 10 keep watch at the window
all the afternoon and evening for fear
| of missing the next message. Nothing
| appeared till after dark, when 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. 1t went out suddenly,
and l went TO bed.
| The first signal had passed about o
o'clock. Therefore the next morning
| l began my watch Il few minutes be-
| fore 8. AS the clock struck the hour
the gentleman and the lady appeared
at their respective windows. She looked
troubled and held up a piece of paste
| board on which was written in large
| letters:
Tark at IL D. M
This was surely the time and place
of an elopement. The man as soon as
he saw the message looked serious, but
an elopement is serious matter, and
was not surprised that this young
couple appreciated the Importance of
the step they were about to take. 1
did not expect any more messages, but
for fear of missing one kept my place
at my window all day. After dark 1
was about to give it up when a red
light was put in the girls window.
That means that something has hap
pened to prevent the elOpement tonight.
Red is danger signal. 1 shall look
anXiously for another cipher message
in the morning
lay awake half the night wondering
what had happened. 1 wished that l
could help them. 1t might be they
needed confidant to make arrange
ments they could not make themselves.
1 resolved that if they did not carry
out their plans the next day l would go
into No. 3, call for the girl and offer
my services. In the morning she held
up sign:
Tark c. Haze o.
They're going TO try it again. They
will meet at some place at this even
ing designated by the word ''Tark."
But what does Haze o. meape Why, 1
that the danger which threatened thent
before has been eliminated. How stu
pid of me not TO see it at once. Tonight
will tell. I'm sure the window will
show II light.
/ was not mistaken. The window did
show a light-not one, but two, and
they were both red.
In the morning l 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 Il 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 |
OH my hat and wraps l went around |
the corner and rang the bell at No. |
j. The girl who had been displaying |
cipher message came to the door.
May 1 speak with you moment:'
asked.
Certainly. Come in
We went into drawing room, and
1 mustered courage to open the deli
cate subject.
Pardon me if 1 seem officious." 1
said, but have reason to believe that
you love a 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
right out helped me.
You need friend. / am that
friend. / have observed your signals,
your appointments and your disap-
pointments.''
Excuse me-" she interrupted. "Have
you had the measles?'
"The measles? Why, no. What has
that to do with the Natter
"Only that my two children are
down with 1t. and if yOu should take
it it might go hard with you. 1t al
ways does with elderly people"
And the signalsT' l gasped.
"They were to keep my husband,
who remained at home with our other
informed. We took this Z
house that we might separate the sick :
from the we'll"
Then she explained the signals. The
smile and the handkerchief merely
meant encouragement; 'Tark at IL
D. M" that their boy Harrington, who
had not surely shown the disease, had Z
broken out at IL p. m. The white and ?