South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-12-29
Real Hills
BY Kathryn Green.

I Charlie was rejoiced.
Maybe I won't have 10 go into
mourning after ALL" he thought
and then after a second he repeated
softly. Maybe"
Charlie Old Boy
The letter started.
Il thought nothing could come up
| TO my dreams, but this-weH. II
! can't be expressed. If anyone had
I told me a few days ago, that no
/ author or artist could have picture
/ il or that 1 couldn't have imagine
I It. / would have laughed in his face
| But it's true I tell you I'm drunk
with the calm and wonder Of il all
And there are the sunsets and sun
rises that I had forgotten all about
| AS il the world weren't beautiful
| enough, already, without turning on
| the soft lights and flooding il all
/ with glory. I tell you, stage man
ayers could learn a lot out here.
But I'm not wallowing as you
and I thought. There's a girl-not
the girl-who makes me take walks.
! / never had counted on them,
either. I'd say there was nothing
like them If it weren't for all the
| other marvels.
! The reasons the girl isn't the girl
is that she has freckles and a pug
nose and wants 70 leave this place.
asked her II she were sick OF il
and she looked at me reproachful-
lily.
do you get sick OF music?" she
questioned. but before I could an
swer she had asked me another.
Gould you live on nothing but
music?"
Pretty good I should say. She's
clever in spite Of what few chances
she has to learn. Her father runs
the store here and she runs her
father, only. of course, in the most
patient and respectful way but firm
" enough just the same.
I told her about the girl I was
looking for and that I wanted TO
with the wind blowing through her
hair and the sun glinting it. l want
ed her eyes shining and her nos
trils quivering and I wanted her
whole posture 10 be part Of the hills
and peace and happiness was look
ing for
Lucy suddenly asked me if
freckles would spoil il all.
I laughed and told her that she
could almost be the girl if 1 hadn't
first seen her. scrubbing her porch.
She wasn't as amused as she usually
is.
The month that seemed such a
long and marvellous vacation is pass
ing like lightning and I haven't
found the girl, so I guess you're
safe. Imagine me wallowing in my
hills and be as ervious as you want
I'm happy.
Dan"
At times this first letter would
cause Charlie a little nervousness,
but in spite of that, he was pretty
cheerful until the arrival of the sec
ond
What do you think. Charlie" it
ran, Il discovered that Lucy has an
attic piled with books that she has
read and saved. I won't tell YOU
the titles for fear Of making you
ashamed-that's what they did to
me. She wants to sell them and
get enough TO go to New York and
make her living there. She said
she would appreciate this all the
more if she only saw it during her
vacation, and she's right as usual.
It's glorious TO visit but it's frightful
TO live here if you visit the hills,
but you live in the town.
If I ship the books on to you. do
you think you can sell them for her,
and get a good price, Charlie? She's
so earnest and ambitious. She's go
ing TO get some place in the world
with that voice of hers.
1 wish you could hear her sing.
One night we were out on the lake
and she sang for me. I told you
that no one could ever describe
these hills or express the calm and
beauty Of them and the feeling they
give you. / was utterly wrong for
Lucy sang that feeling and I knew
as I listened and watched her that
the spirit Of them was in her while
it is only one part of me that they
touch. I love them but she is part
Of them.
This Is not all OF her, of course.
It shines through her, but she is
sensible and energetic. I didn't like
her pug nose at first but it is so
audacious and defiant. She is not
beautiful, you know-that is, there
never could be eyes to match hers
but she is really not beautiful
I told her when she had finished
singing that IL was better than find
ing her on the hills and I wish you
could have seen her blush. She
looked so little and adorable there
and yet so full Of pluck. She tossed
her head and said il was too late
because the porch had spoiled every
thing.
Then ! told her some things
they were true, though they were
pretty fattering and she looked al
me. almost frightened.
Don't say such nice things about
me-" she said. you make me
I Tro{ "a % r,ooHa or enaal- fo, faar TIL