The day dawned brightly in the small town of Fort St. James, where Clark von Tonner and his family lived. A fresh dusting of snow added extra excitement to a day brimming with promise. "Come on, William!", cried Sandy, "Let's have some fun in the snow!" Little William crinkled his brow questioningly. "La Neige!" repeated Sandy. With that, young William's eyes glistened with anticipation. "Si, nous faisons un bonhomme de neige?", he asked. Sandy understood a little French and replied, "Of course we can build a snowman!!!" It was a happy crowd of children that littered the snow-covered landscape that morning. Sandy pulled William along on the sled while Georgia and Betsy engaged in a friendly snowball fight. Ann and Sophie busied themselves making angels in the snow. "OK,", called Betsy, "Let's see who can make the biggest snowman!!" and immediately she and Sandy got to work on one while Ann, Sophie and Georgia started on theirs. William was content, for the moment, to ride on the sled and watch the others from a distance. The three little girls finished first and were very proud of their little snowman (I have to correct myself here...Ann made it very clear to everyone that theirs was a snowLADY!). Betsy's and Sandy's was a true masterpiece. "What shall we call him?" asked Betsy. William had quietly approached the two and called out,"Gretyl". Where the air had been filled with the boisterous sounds of children laughing and playing, silence cracked like a gun shot across the landscape. Gretyl (and William, too, until yesterday) was a name that was not spoken in the von Tonner family....not that it was forbidden. It just hurt the children so to see the pain in their father's eyes that this name brought. Now, young William had said it.

"What did you say?" Sandy asked. "Snowman Gretyl," replied William. The children could hardly believe it and called to their father, who had just come out into the yard. Clark gathered his youngest son into his arms and asked, "William, do you know Gretyl? Do you know where she is?" William understood only the word, Gretyl, and gazed longingly at his father. How did he remember his sister's name? They were only two years old when they were kidnapped. Had he been with her during the ensuing three years? Clark could only wait until the answers came.