1) as soon as loraine arrived in town, she phoned dee. (2) however dee was not home. (3) discouraged, by this loraine walked four blocks to a coffee shop. (4) she hoped darlene her old friend would be there. (5) when she got to the coffee shop, loraine found that darlene was not there. (6) loraine asked one of the waitresses where darlene was, and she learned that darlene had moved to delaware. 14. which sentence in the passage contains a parenthetical element that should be set off by commas? a. sentence 1 b. sentence 4 c. sentence 6 d. sentence 2

The correct option is B, SENTENCE 4.
In English language, a parenthetical element refers to a word or group of words that add non-essential information to a sentence or a clause. A non-essential information, is an information that a sentence can do without, that is, without that information what the sentence is saying will still make sense. 
Looking at sentence 4, the parenthetical element there is 'her old friend'. If this phrase is removed from the sentence, the sentence will still make sense.
The sentence ought to be written this way: 'She hoped Darlene, her old friend would be there.
If the parenthetical element is removed, then the sentence become: 'She hoped Darlene would be there.

Dbecause it makes sense