Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-08-13
ROMEO AND JULIET DEAD.
Romance of Two Owls as Observed
 in a Bronx Roadhouse.

Romance of Two Owls as Observed
 in a Bronx Roadhouse.
 Romeo and Juliet died at road house in the Bronx last week and there is much sorrowing there. Ro- meo and Juliet were qair of owls.
 They lived and loved together and in death they parted but short time.
 Last March a dead tree on the hill beyond Bronx Park was blown down, the boys passing the spot soon after ward discovered big owl blinking it's great eyes avacantly at the wreck of the tree, which proved to be also the wreck of its home, for the boys found two of the oldest looking nest lings, consisting mostly of eyes and mouth, among the ruins of trunk and branches.
 They took the two queer little birds away with them, the old one making no protest, although they were plainly it's own. The owlets were purchased by the proprietor of the roadhousel and it was a wise investment, for in 1 their short but interesting career they brought many dollars to his till
 The young birds were well cared for and grew and thrived. When they
 
 themselves they were placed in a large cage and soon became great fav- orites with the old. customers of the place and attracted many new ones.
 They were a source of constant anuse ment, not only because of their grotesque appearance. but also be- cause of the avidity with which they accepted things edible from the hands of their admirers. to say nothing of the unmistakeabIe adoration they had for one another. For. this last reason the owner of the owlets named them Romeo and Juliet.
 Mice seemed to be their favorite choice in the food line, and if two mice were put in the cage at the same time each would take one. If one mouse was larger or plumper than the other, the male owl inyaribIy took the small Ter of the scrawny one, thus giving plain evidence of his gallantry and of his consideration for his mate. If there was only one mouse in the cage Romo would divide it and never failed to give the larger and presumably the cboicer portion to Juliet
 The affection between the two birds seemed to grow sHuner daily and the manifestations of it were an ever pleasin gsfght to many people who were constantly around the cage. E Whether liberality of feeding was responsible for the cahnity that befel Juliet one day last t.week is not known, but just after putting away a partic uharfy fat mouse that Romeo had gal lantly parcelled out for her from a pair that some one had brought in for their dinner, she gave an uncommonIy large an solemn blink and tuntbled off dead as stone.
 A moment Romeo. who had bolted his mouse sat on his perch gazing down at his prostrate mate, his eyes open to their widest extent. Then he seemed to realize what had occurred.
 He dropped down to the side of Ju- liet. caressed her feathers with his beak and showed the greatest distress
 He continued this for several min utes and then apparently awoka to the fact that it was all useless.
 HeNrettRned to his perch, where he sat for an hour gazing down at his dead love, refusing to pay the least at tention to anything that was going on around him. Then he dropped to Ju- let's side again. ~'s ~,..
 The bottom of the cage was covered deep with sand. Romeo drew his head mate over to one corner of the cage. and with his beak and feet threw sand upon her until she was covered out of sight by a mound Then he went back to his perch.
 He persistently refused to eat, or drink. He would not get off of his perch, but sat gazing sadly att the mound below him. On the morning of the second day after the death of Juliet they found Romeo ~dead at the side of the mound.