TEXT C A long painful struggle
with cancer and chemotherapy had caused baldness for Barbara Bassett, of
Moorstown, N.J. The day her blonde hair fell out in clumps was, for Barbara, the
worst day of her ordeal. Determined to use some form of camouflage, she tried a
wig but found it itchy and hot. Scarves slipped off or clung too tightly,
accentuating the problem. Finally, a friend suggested Barbara call her neighbor,
Marie Stevens, an accomplished seamstress who worked at home.
Barbara explained to Marie that she needed something between a scarf and a hat,
with a shape that suggested hair beneath. It had to fasten securely, and had no
opening that would reveal baldness. Sensing a kindred spirit, Marie agreed to
work something up. She was no stranger to medical tragedy herself, having lost
two of her seven children to cystic fibrosis. The design itself
was simple, a combination scarf/hat of light cotton and polyester that fit well,
disguising the lack of hair. "Smart" was the description Barbara’s friends came
up with. For Barbara, elegance was secondary to the scarf’s greatest asset.
"That silly little hat saved me,’ she told her friends. Shortly
after, Marie and Barbara formed a partnership selling scarves, which they called
Hide & Chic. They developed a line of colors, plus small elasticized
versions for children. They had a brochure printed, and sent it to oncology
units and social-service directors in hospitals. Soon after the
company, Mare-bar, Inc. was on its feet, Barbara learned that her cancer had
recurred. Despite more chemotherapy, she died, at age 40. "She
made me promise that I’d keep things going," Marie said. "When she died, I was
pretty low. But I kept getting mail from cancer patients who described how our
scarf/hat bad made such a big difference. I got going again. It’s a nice legacy
for Barbara, who was a very special lady.’ It can be inferred from the passage that Marie finally resolved to continue with her busi- ness because______.
A.cancer patients kept writing to her, making orders for the products B.the prospect of inheriting the legacy left to her by Barbara cheered her up C.she knew she was doing something useful for others D.she was determined to make profits from the business