"I know--but--I guess you don't know all she did. That story about a great doctor operating for charity didn't quite please me. I thought as long as it was in the family I'd pay him for what he did. So I wrote to him and his secretary wrote back that the bill had been paid by a check signed by Phœbe Metz--the bill had been five hundred dollars. I guess that explains her giving up the music lessons. What a girl she is to make such a sacrifice! She don't know that I know, but I felt I ought to tell you."
"Five hundred dollars! Phœbe did that for us--she paid it? Oh, Phares, I'm glad you told me! I'm going to find her right away and thank her! You're a brick for telling me!"
The preacher smiled as David turned and ran down the hill, but preachers are only human--he felt a pang of pain as he went back to his work in the field while David went to find Phœbe.
David forgot for the time that he was crippled as he ran limping over the road. Dressed in his working clothes, his head bare to the October sunlight, he hurried to the gray farmhouse.
"What's wrong? Anything the matter at your house?" she asked.
"Ach, over at the quarry again for weeds or something like she brings home all the time."
"All right." He turned to the gate. "I'll find her."
He half ran up the sheltered road to the old stone quarry.
"Phœbe," he cried when he caught sight of her as she stooped to gather goldenrod that fringed the woods.
"Why, David, what's the matter?" she asked as she stood erect and faced him.
"You angel!" he cried, taking her hands in his and spilling the goldenrod over the ground. "You angel!" he said again, and the full gratitude of his heart shone from his eyes. "You bought Mother Bab's sight! You gave up the music lessons that she might see!"
"Oh, I know!" He told her briefly. "That's all true, isn't it?"
"Yes," she admitted. "I can't lie out of it now, I guess. Though I've lied like a trooper about it already. But you needn't get excited about it. Mother Bab's earned more than that from me!"
"Oh, Phœbe!" The man could hardly refrain from taking her in his arms. "You're an angel! To sacrifice all that for us--it's the most unselfish thing I've ever heard of! You gave her sight so she could see me. I came right down to bless you and to thank you."