The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1910-05-27
THE GIRL UNDER THE HILL



with the creek and the bridge at Its
loot. alwaySturned their heads to look
at the old stone house built in colonial
days. In summer II was covered with
vines and stood IN the shade Of the
pear trees, and In summer the girl I'M
der the hill was oftenest caught
sight Of
Why the girl under the hill instead
OF Molly Thatcher? Well travellers
would have 1t so. and nobody knew
Just why. She had been called so at
16, and she was still being called so
at 20. 1t WAS necessary only to In
quire at any house In the village be-
yond the creek to know she was the
daughter OF old Mart Thatcher, the
pensioner. and motherless girl.
Sometimes travellers saw the old
man on the porch and the daughter
reading to him as he smoked his pipe;
sometimes she was working among
the flowers in the yard; sometimes,
from the open windows of the house,
they heard her singing and paused to
listen. When strangers met her on
the road as she went to and from the
village with her basket they remem-
bered that she had hair that shone
like gold in the sun, and mouth that
smiled. and eyes that reminded them
of those of a deer. Sometimes, when
too-curious young man pestered the
postmistress for information he re-
ceived the reply:
She's smart and handsome and
good. and it's no use for you to waste
your time. Molly has never looked at
any fellow twice"
One summer day the girl under the
hill carried an apronful OF weeds
from the flower beds out of the gate
and emptied them in the highway
Just as she did so an auto driven by a
young man came chugging up the
hill. She looked fairly into the young
mans eyes, and he into hers. The
look did not last ten seconds, but 1t
made her heart beat faster as she
turned away. and his as, he continued
his journey.
An hour later, the old father hob
bled out on the porch where the girl
sat with her chin on her hand, staring
into vacancy, and said:
81 thought you might have gone to
the store. / haven't heard you sing
ing for a long time"
Il was just-just thinking" she re-
piled as she got up and ran away.
Autos were not rare sight on that
highway. A dozen passed up or down
the hill every day. and no one
minded them. The girl under the hill
had never gone to the gate out of
| curiosity. If seated on the porch she
had not raised her eyes. All at once.
now, she found herself listening, and
was vexed she found herself at the
gate, and stamped her foot as she
turned away. That young man had
black hair and dark eyes, he was
young and handsome; he was surely a
! gentleman, he was. But to break
the chain of thought Molly seized the
broom and began to sweep the porch
so vigorously that her father called
out from the interior of the house
Hey. girl. what's the matter with
you to-day? You swept the porch
only an hour ago? Better save the
broom"
Two days had gone by since Molly
had thrown the weeds in the road and
the young man In the auto came again
The girl was training vine at the
corner of the house, and she heard
Tho machine rumble across the bridge
and begin to climb the hill. Yes. it
was the same young man, and he was
| looking her way. She was partly
turned away. but she knew that he
was looking. She heard the machine
almost come to stop but she would
not look up Then the power was in
creased. the chug went louder and
faster. and she stood and listened I'M
til the sounds died away in the dis
lance.
That fellow pretty near got stuck
on the HILL" said the father as Molly
came around to the porch.
1t was just as well for that fel-
low" that he wasn't there to see the
toss of her head and the snap in her
eyes. She believed that he had al
most stopped TO stare at her, and she
WAS rejoiced that her attitude had
been one of disdain. That is, after
thinking It over she didn't know
whether she was or not
Three days later, as she sat sewing
and her father slept In his rocker, she
heard an auto descend the hill and
stop in front of the house. The rose
bushes hid 1t from her sight, but a
moment later the dark-haired young
man was standing uncovered before
her and saying:
81 beg your pardon, miss. but could
you lend me an ak while make some
slight repairs to my auto? So sorry
to bother you. All. i see an ak over
there. Don't get up. please. l shall
return II directly"
| In her confusion at his sudden ad-
vent and strange request the girl had
simply looked at him. She gave her