Without a word Betty rose and laid the now-sleeping baby in a crib; then she came back to the low chair and opened her arms to little Ann with the heaven-given gesture that no child resists—especially a suffering, lonely child.
“Come here, little girl, to—to Aunt Betty,” she said.
Fascinated, Ann walked to the shelter offered.
“Will you kiss me?” Betty asked. The kiss was given mutely.
“Will you tell Aunt Betty your name?”
“Ann.”
“Ann what?”
“Jes’ lil’ Ann.”
Then Betty raised her eyes to Lynda’s face and smiled at its tragic suffering.
“Poor, old Lyn!” she said, “run home to Con. You need him and God knows he needs you. It will take the big love, Lyn, dear, the big love; but you have it—you have it!”