She knew that Miss Hale was apt to call all people that she liked "old," as a sort of term of endearment; but Dixon always winced away from the application of the word to herself, who, being not much past fifty, was, she thought, in the very prime of life. 
She knew that Miss Hale used 'old' as a term of endearment; but Dixon winced away from it, thinking herself, at not much past fifty, to be in the very prime of life. 