The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-09-24
Romance of a
Back Yard
By DWIGHT NORWOOD

which Is Ill the ES:iT vi i.ie mus H'
looks out Oh the back windows "i
! houses ON another street, | saw I'm!
white handkerchief pinned to the VIII
=. dow sill. The same afternoon. GONG
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 domiclle.
She at once disappeared. but 1t was
evident that Irritation. perhaps one
that had developed into IN affair of
the heart, was in progress.
After this | saw many a signal in
the window opposite which | would
probably not have recognized as such
had ! not seen the throwing of the
kiss. My next door neighbor. Of course
I could not see. but | had noticed Il
good looking young man going and con-
ing, and l 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 q crack between the Stats
saw q pantomime between the lovers.
The girl looked down into her back
yard and shook her head. After she
had left her window | looked down
into his back yard myself 1t was In
closed in high brick wall topped
with broken glass. was not long in
deciphering the pantomime. The girl
had put a veto on her lovers under
taking to effect an entrance to her
premises over the wall
About week after this saw ne
gro bring barrel into the back yard
through rear basement door He
set 1t 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 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
ly 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
1t struck me that something would oc-
cur in the premises Oh the other side
Of the wall. Should be mean enough
to spy with view to satisfying my
curiosity? Would 1t be mean to enjoy
what could of a drama in real life?
The barrel was deposited shortly be-
fore my dinner hour, which was G
o'clock. After dinner darkness had
fallen. Without turning on my lights
| took seat at the window. The
space between my home and the
houses in the rear Of 1t was dimly Wis
ible from the lights of the houses
shining; upon it. could barely discern
the barrel standing where 1t had been
placed. Not caring to reveal myself by
lighting my room, concluded to while
away the time In the darkness by
smoking. had consumed half dozen
cigarettes and was thinking that II
there was any one in the barrel he
must be pretty well cramped when
something rose out Of Its top end.
There was a pause; then something
larger followed. Curiosity sharpened
my eyes. and saw bulk that looked
like mans figure get out Of the barrel.
take 1t up and proceed with 1t to a cor
ner in the wall. where he was hidden
from me I fancied he was using the
barrel for concealment from the oppo-
site direction.
That's the last OF him for me-" /
remarked. 'till the n.hts are put out"
Nevertheless I was too interested to
leave my post. smoked till fell
asleep. When awoke II was IL
O'Clock. and there was but one light in
the house visible to me. and that was
In the room Of the heroine OF my story.
AS looked II was turned of.
was now thoroughly awake and be.
lieved that had no great time to wait
to see something more. was right.
Not long after the last light was turned
on ] saw the space occupied by the
basement door Of the house I was
watching grow darker. indicating that
the door was being opened. Then
something stood in the opening. A dark
spot fitted from the wall to the door.
entered and the door closed.
! regretted that the elopement-for
such ] believed II to be-could NOT
have been effected over the rear wall.
where could have seen 1t. They would
go out the front basement door.
| went to bed and had Just fallen
asleep when | heard the crack of n
pistol Rising. | looked through the
window at the house of my story. The
basement and the two upper floors were
lighted. l saw figures passing before
the windows. but heard nothing. Aft.
er awhile the lights began TO be turned
on, and In time all was again dark.
The next morning / saw in nv news.
paper an account of an attempted rob
berry OF premises 70 Elm street. The
police were called in, but the rohher
had escaped-nobody hurt nothing
lost Elm was the street back of INV
nome After breakfast walked around
the block 10 note the number of the
house. 1t was %.
a Few days later, while scanning the
marriage notices in my morning paper
| saw that Miss Emma A. Of "a Elm
street had been married.
never learned what had occurred
the night of the robbery" but form.
ed this theory: In trying to get out on 10
Elm street the couple. or, at least tho
overs had been detected. supposed
20 De burglars and shot at The no
ice entered. but were told there had
been an aftemnted rohAo '