The Washburn leader., 1915-09-03
Romance Of a
Back Yard
By DWIGHT NORWOOD

One morning. going to my window.
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 l saw through the Stats q
pretty girl kiss her hand to some one
in the house adjoining my domicile.
She at once disappeared, but it was
evident that a Irritation. perhaps one
that had developed into an affair of
the heart, was in progress.
After this saw many signal in
the window opposite which l would
probably not have recognized as sucl,
had not seen the throwing of the
kiss. My next door neighbor, Of course.
I could not see, but had noticed a
good looking young man going and com
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 a crack between the Stats
saw a 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. l 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 a week after this l saw ne
gro bring barrel into the back yard
through a rear basement door. He
set it down very carefully and turned
to go away. He had taken but a few
steps when he: turned, went back to
the barrel and busted himself examin-
ing the head, which l could see was
not fastened in the usual way. While
he was doing this his lips moved.
Moreover, l saw something passed
from the barrel to his hand. Present
ly he went away again and this time
disappeared through the basement
door. set
l 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 on the other side
of the wall. Should be mean enough
to spy with 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 6.
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 it 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 If
there was any one in the barrel he
must be pretty well cramped when
something rose out of it's top end.
There was pause: then something
larger followed. Curiosity sharpened
my eyes, and I saw bulk that looked
like mans figure get out of the barrel.
take it up and proceed with 1t to cor
ner in the wall. where he was hidden
from me- fancied he was using the
barrel for concealment from the oppo
site direction.
THAT'S the last Of him for me-" i
remarked. It'll the lights are put out Z" 4
Nevertheless was too interested to
leave my post. i smoked till l fell
asleep. When I awoke it was II
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 1t was turned OF.
was now thoroughly awake and be-
lieved that had no great time to wait
to see something more. I was right.
Not long after the last light was turned
of I saw the space occupied by the
basement door of the house 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.
l regretted that the elopement-for
such l believed it to be-could not
have been effected over the rear wall,
where could have seen it. They would
go out the front basement door.
went to bed and had just fallen
asleep when I heard the crack OF q
pistol. Rising. looked through the
window at the house Of my story. The
basement and the two upper floors were
lighted. I saw figures passing before
the windows. but heard nothing. Aft
er awhile the lights began to be turned
of, and in time all was again dark.
The next morning saw In my news
paper an account Of IN attempted rob
berry Of premises q Elm street. The
police were called In, but the robber
had escaped-nobody hurt, nothing
lost. Elm was the street back Of my
home. After breakfast I walked around
u