The daily Alaskan., 1916-02-09
Romance Ot a Back Yard
By DWIGHT NoRwooD

WWch A lA the rear or Che house ana looks out on the back windows of houses on another street, saw Q tiny white handkerchief pinned to the win dow Gill. The Bame afternoon going Co my room, was about to open the blinds when saw through the slats pretty girl kiss her hand to some one in tho house adjoining my domicile. She ae once disappeared, but 1t was evident that a Irritation, perhaps one that had developed into an affair of tho heart was in progress.
 After this saw many a signal in the window opposite which would probably not have recognized as such had 1 not seen the throwing of the kisN. My next door neighbor, of course, I could not see, but I had noticed 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 @ crack between tho Blats I saw a pantomIme between the lovers. The girl looked down into her back yard and shook her head. After she had left her window I looked down into bis back yard myself. It was in- closed in a high brick wall topped with broken glass. l was not long in declphering 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 saw ne gro bring a barrel Into the back yard through a rear basement door. He set 1t down very carefully and turned to 80 away. He had taken but a 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, I saw something passed from the barrel to his hand. Present. ly he went away again and this time disappeared through the basement door.
 l was reading a 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 I be mean enough to spy with view to satisfying my curiosity7 Would 1t be mean to enjoy what I could of a drama in real life2
 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 I took 6 seat at the window. The space between my home and the houses in the rear of 1t was dimly 7is- ibIs from the lights of the houses shining upon it. couH barely discern the barrel standing where 1t had been placed. Not caring to reveal myself by gIzhtinR my room, I concluded to while avFay the dme in the darkness by sluoBing. I had consumed half dozen cis,arettes and was thinking that if theSs was any one in the barrel he must be pretty well cramped when somgthing rose out of its top end There was a pause then something larger followed Curiosity sharpened my eyes, and I saw a bulk that looked yte a mans figure get out of the barrel, tako it up and proceed with 1t to cor nsr in the wall, where he was hidden from me. I fancied be was using the barrel for concealment from the Oppo- site direction.
 A'ThaEs the last of him for me-" I remarked, -'tlIl the lights are put out" Nevertheless I was too interested to leave my post I smoked tlli l fell osleep. When awoke 1t was II o'clock. and there was but one light in inc house visible to me, and that was in the room of the heroine Of my story. AS I looked it was turned of.
 I was now thoroughly awake and be- Ileved that I had no great time to walt to see something more. was right Not long after the last light was turned of saw the space occupied by the basement door of the house l was watching grow darker, indicating that fhe door was being opened. Then something stood In the opening. A dark spot ditte6 from the wall to the door, entered and the door closed.
 I regretted that the elopement--for such 1 believed 1t to be-could not have been effected over the rear wall, where I could have seen it. They would 20 out the front basement door.
 I went to bed and had just fallen Rsleep when I heard the crack of a 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 CT awhile the lights began to be turned ofC. and in time all was again dark. The next morning I saw in my news Daper an account of an attempted rob- bery Of premises 79 Elm street The 7,olica 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 tbs block to note the number of the