She was the wife of Norman Lloyd, the largest shoe-manufacturer in the place.

There was between her and Cynthia a sort of relationship by marriage.

Norman Lloyd's brother George had married Cynthia's sister, who had died ten years before, and of whose little son, Robert, Cynthia had had the charge.
Now George, who was a lawyer in St.Louis, had married again.

Mrs.
Norman had sympathized openly with Cynthia when the child was taken from Cynthia at his father's second marriage.

"I call it a shame," she had said, "giving that child to a perfect stranger to bring up, and I don't see any need of George's marrying again, anyway.