With An Act Of Kindness, A Lady Vanishes

Dan Barry: LINCOLN, Del. — A steel-haired woman, 89 years old and an inch short of five feet, sat on a pillow in the driver's seat of her Buick LeSabre, just thinking. Parked outside a convenience store on one of the last days of winter, she was considering a pre-Easter treat for herself: an ice cream cone. Butter pecan.

Two girls, 15 and 14, appeared at the window, calling her "Miss" and offering to pay for a ride to the other side of town. Her inclination was to say no, but her strong belief in offering kindness to strangers won out. She said yes, of course, and no need to pay her.