"Welcome, New Year," said Captain Jim, bowing low as the last stroke
died away. "I wish you all the best year of your lives, mates. I
reckon that whatever the New Year brings us will be the best the Great
Captain has for us--and somehow or other we'll all make port in a good
harbor."

CHAPTER 17

A FOUR WINDS WINTER

Winter set in vigorously after New Year's. Big, white drifts heaped
themselves about the little house, and palms of frost covered its
windows. The harbor ice grew harder and thicker, until the Four Winds
people began their usual winter travelling over it. The safe ways were
"bushed" by a benevolent Government, and night and day the gay tinkle
of the sleigh-bells sounded on it. On moonlit nights Anne heard them
in her house of dreams like fairy chimes. The gulf froze over, and the
Four Winds light flashed no more. During the months when navigation
was closed Captain Jim's office was a sinecure.

"The First Mate and I will have nothing to do till spring except keep
warm and amuse ourselves. The last lighthouse keeper used always to
move up to the Glen in winter; but I'd rather stay at the Point. The
First Mate might get poisoned or chewed up by dogs at the Glen. It's a
mite lonely, to be sure, with neither the light nor the water for
company, but if our friends come to see us often we'll weather it
through."

Captain Jim had an ice boat, and many a wild, glorious spin Gilbert and
Anne and Leslie had over the glib harbor ice with him. Anne and Leslie
took long snowshoe tramps together, too, over the fields, or across the
harbor after storms, or through the woods beyond the Glen. They were
very good comrades in their rambles and their fireside communings.
Each had something to give the other--each felt life the richer for
friendly exchange of thought and friendly silence; each looked across
the white fields between their homes with a pleasant consciousness of a
friend beyond. But, in spite of all this, Anne felt that there was
always a barrier between Leslie and herself--a constraint that never
wholly vanished.

"I don't know why I can't get closer to her," Anne said one evening to
Captain Jim. "I like her so much--I admire her so much--I WANT to take
her right into my heart and creep right into hers. But I can never
cross the barrier."

"You've been too happy all your life, Mistress Blythe," said Captain
Jim thoughtfully. "I reckon that's why you and Leslie can't get real
clo