“Not coming back?”
“She may never come again to Hidden Lake, Wanza. We may never see her again.”
“But I don’t understand, David Dale!—oh, I thought some day you would marry—you and she.”
Her voice was uneven and very low.
“Child,” I said gravely, “it is not to be. She cares for me only as a friend. And I—”
“You love her—you know you do!”
She spoke passionately.
“Wanza,” I said thoughtfully, “it has been a long winter, hasn’t it?”
“Pretty long,” she answered, surprised.
“You have learned much this winter.”