The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-09-25
Romance Of a
Back Yard
By DWIGHT NORWOOD


which is in the rear Of the house and
looks out on the back windows OF
houses on another street, saw q tiny
white handkerchief pinned to the win
dow sill. The same afternoon, going
to my room. l was about to open the
blinds when / saw through the stats
pretty girl kiss her hand to some one
in the house adjoining my domicile. |
ehe at once disappeared, but 1t was
evident that a Irritation. perhaps one
that had developed into an affair Of
the heart, was In progress.
After this ! saw many q signal in
the window opposite which | would
probably not have recognized as such
had I not seen the throwing Of the
I kiss. Ny next door neighbor, Of course.
could not see. but l had noticed a
good looking young man going and COM
, ing, and I presumed that he was the
! fortunate possessor Of the young lady's
| favor.
| was one afternoon sitting at my
| window, with the blinds closed, when
through a crack between the Stats |
saw O pantomime between the lovers.
The girl looked down into her back
| yard and shook her head. After she
had left her window l looked down
into his back yard myself. 1t was In
closed in a high brick wall topped
with broken glass. was not long In
deciphering the pantomime. The girl
had put veto on her lovers under
taking to effect an entrance to her
premises over the wall.
About q week after this | saw ne
gro bring a barrel into the back yard
! through rear basement door. He
: set it down very carefully and turned
to go away. He had taken but few
steps when he turned went back to
the barrel and busted himself examin-
ing the head, which I could see was
not fastened in the usual way. While
he was doing this his lips moved.
Moreover saw something passed
from the barrel to his hand. Present
" he went away again and this time
disappeared through the basement
: door.
was reading love story without
: words. or. rather, was seeing one en-
acted, not on the stage. but In real life.
= It struck me that something would oc-
cur In the premises OH the other side
Of the wall. Should be mean enough
to spy with a view to satisfying my
= curiosity? Would it be mean to enjoy
= what could Of drama in real life?
The barrel was deposited shortly be-
fore my dinner hour, which was {
o'clock. After dinner darkness haC
= fallen. without turning on my lights
y l took seat at the window. Tht
space between my home and thu
houses in the rear of It was dimly Wis
ible from the lights of the houses
II shining upon 1t. could barely discern
the barrel standing where It had beef
placed. Not caring to reveal myself b.
lighting my room. concluded to Will
H. away the time in the darkness b.
smoking. had consumed half doze
el cigarettes and was thinking that
y" there was any one In the barrel h
must be pretty well cramped whe
something rose out Of its top enc
There was pause; then somethin
larger followed Curiosity sharpene
CT my eyes, and saw a bulk that locke
t" like a mans figure get out of the barre
take 1t up and proceed with 1t to CO
ner in the wall. where he was hidde
from me- l fancied he was using II
barrel for concealment from the opp
~, site direction.
lu' "That's the last Of him for me-"
Ell remarked, It'll the lights are put out
VII Nevertheless l was too interested
,ss leave my post l smoked till l Il
ne asleep. When l awoke 1t was
o'clock, and there was but one light
the house visible to me. and that WI
in the room Of the heroine Of my stor
me As I looked 1t was turned of.
ng was now thoroughly awake and
my lieved that l had no great time to WI
to see something more. was rigl
ex- Not long after the last light was turn
of I saw the space occupied by t
basement door Of the house I "
watching grow darker. indicating ii
the door was being opened. Tn
something stood in the opening. A da
ow spot fitted from the wall to the do
arn entered and the door closed.
ere I regretted that the elopement-'
such l believed 1t to be-could !
have been effected over the rear WI
where could have seen 1t. They wo'
ket 20 out the front basement door.
too / went to bed and had just fal
asleep when heard the crack OF
pistol. Rising. looked through
window at the house Of my story. Z
hat basement and the two upper floors W
lighted. l saw figures passing Def
the windows. but heard nothing. 4
. er awhile the lights began to be turl
of, and in time all was again dark.
~ The next morning saw In my ne
d. paper an account of an attempted I
IA berry OF premises 70 Elm street
S police were called in, but the rob
81 had escaped-nobody hurt. 10th
81 lost. Elm was the street back Of
Il home. After breakfast walked aro
IA the block to note the number Of
IA, house. 1t was %.
ri A few days later, while scanning
El marriage notices In my morning pa
"a saw that Miss Emma A. Of 70
n street had been married.
IA never learned what had occul
IS the night of the robbery" but fo
81 ed this theory: In trying to get out o
h Elm street the couple. or, at least
! G lovers. had been detected, supp'