True Heart Susie

Susie (Lillian Gish), a plain girl who lives in a small, rural village, is in love with a local farmboy named William (Robert Harron). He wants to go to college and become a minister, but his father can't afford to send him. One day in town, William meets a wealthy philanthropist who encourages him to go to college and promises to help him pay. Weeks go by and William waits for a letter from the stranger, but none arrives, so Susie sells her beloved cow Daisy to raise the tuition for him, and sends him a letter pretending it's from the philanthropist. (official distributor synopsis)