Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1916-01-21
A Romeo and
Juliet Affair
By DONALD CHAMBERLIN

] lived i'll blOCk or houses the rear
Of which formed II junction with the
rear of another similar block at right
angle. My room was OH the third floor
back. There was Il succession of fire
escapes by which one who was ambl-
tiOus to break his neck might get from
one house to another.
In window In rear of the other
block n pretty girl was used to sit,
sometimes sewing, sometimes reading,
sometimes watching what was going
OH in the limited yard spaces below.
When at home ! used to sit In my
window watching the pretty girl.
| have told quite enough to indicate
that trouble was brewing for the pref
ty girl and myself.
1t Logan by my looking admiringly
at the pretty girl and. being bold
young man. following up my glanceS
by throwing kiss. or course the
young lady disappeared from the win
dow. The next time l saw her there
| poised flower and, taking careful
aim. threw it so correctly that it fell
in her lap. She tried hard to look
offended, but gave way to u bit OF
smile, which was followed by an ex-
preston Of great severity.
TO make long story short, in the
course of Il couple OF weeks and the
pretty girl were holding up messages
written in large letters for each other
to read. This was followed by my TAX
ing advantage of darkness one even
ing when | would not likely be OBJ
served by others to swing myself from
one fire escape to another to Il plat
form directly beneath the pretty girls
abode She was In her room at the
time and, hearing II tap on the win
dowpane. saw me without.
Self preservation Is the first law Of
nature. and the girl. to prevent any one
seeing what was going on. turned off
the light Then she came to the win
dow, put the sash up few inches and
her mouth to the aperture, saying ex-
citedly:
For heavens sake, go away from
here!
Instead of obeying her endeavOred
to kiss her.
Police! DurgIarsr' came u cry.
"Oh, heavens!' cried the pretty girl
Il hear some one coming up the fire
escape. What shall we do?"
For reply | threw up the sash as
far as 1t would go and climbed through
the window. The pretty girl. hearing
some one hurrying upstairs, locked the
door.
Well. there we were!
This is dreadful" cried the girl,
wringing her hands.
crawled under lounge and told
her to unlock the door. She did so
just in time to prevent discovery of its
having been locked. A woman came
into the room eXclaiming:
There's burglar trying to get In
somewhere"
Good gracious!' exclaimed the pref,
ty girl, going to the window. pulling
down the sash and locking 1t.
There was confusion of sounds.
Some one knocked at the window and
called out, "All right here?' The wOm-
an who had entered replied. Yes but
declined to open the window. Doubt
less she did not trust any one.
Sure man didn't 20 through this
| room?" called the voice.
Certainly not" said the pretty girl.
"Then it was the next window"
| heard the voice say. Il saw him."
! For some time | heard evidences
that II burglar was being hunted: then
gradually the connection quieted down.
Some one--I concluded that 1t was the
woman who had entered-left the
room. Then the pretty girl said to
me:
You can't stay here. and you can't
get out without almost surely being
| discovered
IF worse comes to worst. say | am
! your husband"
| Although this dialogue was spoken In
u low tone. 1t was overheard. A wom-
an-the same who had come In before
entered.
ITO whom were you speaking?" she
asked
The pretty girl stammered a denial
that she had spoken to any one. II
did not satisfy the other. She began
hunt. Rather than be dragged oul
came from my hiding place volun
rarily.
BE quiet" | said to the elderly wo
man who stood before me. I'm Mt
burglar. and we don't wish our mar
riage to he known as yet
The woman looked thunderstrnck
Turning to the girl. she said:
You don't mean to tell me that you
have been secretly married.
II do" interrupted, land II you'll
let this unfortunate affair blow Ovel
YOU shall have one of the most affect
ing love stories you ever dreamed Of"
Il should think So" she said very
severely.
was permitted to consult with thu
pretty girl privately. She was Il lodge
with the woman who had discovered
me and alone In the world. We wert
not obliged to satisfy the landlady fur
Their. hut it was arranged that | should
see my supposed wife in the parlOr &c
caSinnally. and there did the rest u
my counting In far more respectable
manner than on the Romeo principle
After we were really married we tolC
| the Ion1lllv the VhnIR story She M