hoebe did for your mother
while you were gone?"

"Why, yes. Mother told me. Phoebe was lovely to her. She's been great!
Writing her letters and doing ever so many kind things for her."

"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 Phoebe 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! Phoebe 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 Phoebe.

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.

"Phoebe here?" he asked Aunt Maria.

"What's wrong? Anything the matter at your house?" she asked.

"No. Nothing's wrong. Where's Phoebe?"

"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.

"Phoebe," 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!"

"How d'you know?" she challenged.

"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, Phoebe!" The man could hardly refrain from taking her in his arms.
"You're an angel! To sacrifice all that fo