Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1919-01-10
The Girl Under
the Hill
Copyright, 1918. by Mcclure Newspaper
Syndlcate)
By DONALD ALLEN

-N-NN
Syndlcate)
Travellers who came that way and
assembled and descended the long hill,
with the creek and the bridge at its
foot, always turned their heads to look
at the old stone house built in colonial
days. In summer 1t 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 "glrl under the hill" instead
of Molly Thatcher? Well, travellers
would have 1t so, and nobody knew
just why. She had been called so at
sixteen, and she was still being called
so at twenty. 1t was necessary only
to inquire at any house In the village
beyond 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 deer. Sometimes, when
too-curlous young man pestered the
postmlstress 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:
II thought you might have gone to
the store. haven't heard you sing
ing for long time"
II 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 curios-
ity 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
Gway. That young man had black
hair and dark eyes; he was young and
handsome; he was surely gentle
man; he. But to break the chain Of
thought, Molly seized the broom and
began to sweep the porch so vigorous
ly that her father called out from the
interior Of the house:
"Hey, girl, what's the matter with
you today2 You swept the porch only
an hour ago. Better save the broom"
Two days had gone by since Mollie
had thrown the weeds I'm 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
the machine rumble across the bridge
and begin to climb the hill. Yes, 1t
was the same young man, and he was
looking her way. She was partly
turned away, but she knew he was
looking. She heard the machine al
most 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.
It was just as well for shat fell
lew" that he wasn't there to see the
toss Of her head and the snap in her
eyes. She believed that he had nl-
most stopped to stare at her, and she
was rejoiced that her attitude had
been one of dlsdain.
That is, after thinking It over, she
xtyha oh orr mt
Three days later, as she sat sewing
and her father slept In his rocker, she
heard an auto ascend the hill and
stop in front Of the house. The rose
bushes hid II from her sight, but
moment later the dark-haIred young
man was standing uncovered before
her and saying:
II beg your pardon, miss, but could
you lend me an AK while I make some
slight repairs to my auto2 SO sorry
to bother you. All, see an ax over
there. Don't get up, please. I shall
return It directly"
In her confusion at his sudden adj
vent and strange request the girl had
simply looked at him. She gave her
father a shake to wake him up, brief
ly explained matters and disappeared
into the house. When the ak was re-
turned, and while the borrower was
wondering where the lender had dis
appeared to, the old pensloner re-
piled:
"Thnt's oil right. Always ready to
obleege folks in trouble. SO your auto
broke down, eh1"
"Well-er-just u slight accident"
Lucky for you that you wasn't
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