Part 3, Chapter 16 Return Summary

Bamie was now the sole survivor of the "big people," and she was now thirty-one, established as a spinster. She made it her undertaking to know what was going on in the family and to keep the others appraised. The family turned to her for support and advice. When Elliott's wife gave birth to Anna Eleanor, Bamie was the one they called for. She continued to take care of little Alice, except for the summers, when she stayed with her grandparents at Chestnut Hill. She was the only person who ever talked to Alice about her mother. Bamie still wore a piece of ram's wool as a cushion for her back, but it appears that she was in pain most of the time, regardless.

Theodore mattered most to Bamie. He was her focus and consuming interest. She wanted him...