"Yes," said Mrs. Brooks, setting a chair straight; "and by and by the leds began to draw together, and she couldn't keep 'em open; and there was such a pain in her eyes, too, that I had to be up nights, bathing 'em in all kinds of messes."
"Don't her nose jiggle?" whispered Fly to Horace.
"Of course you took her to a good physician?"
"Well, yes; we thought he was good. We went to three, off and on, but she kept growing worse and worse. It was about the time her father was hurt, and we spent an awful sight on her, till we couldn't spend any more."
"And it was all a cheat and a swindle," exclaimed Mr. Brooks, indignantly. "We'd better have spent the money for a horsewhip, and whipped them doctors with it!"
"Don't, pa, don't! You see, Mrs. Allen, he gets so excited about it he don't know what he says."
"I wonder you did not take her to the City Hospital, Mrs. Brooks. There she could be treated free of expense."
"The fact is, we didn't dare to," replied Mrs. Brooks, taking up an old shoe of Bennie's, and beginning to brush it; "there are folks that have told us it ain't safe; they try experiments on poor folks."
"O, I don't believe you need fear the City Hospital," said Mrs. Allen; "the physicians there are honest men, and among the most skillful in the country."
"But that's our feeling on the subject, ma'am, you see," spoke up Mr. Brooks, so decidedly, that Aunt Madge saw it was of no use to say any more about it. "We don't want her eyes put out; there are times when she can just see a little glimmer, and we want to save all there is left."