She saw him the next morning and the next and the next. In fact there was not a day during his stay that the two did not meet, if only for a moment.
CHAPTER XIX
JOY
THROUGH the combined efforts of Miss Lowndes, Philip Randolph and some others, the little house of four rooms was set up near the shed, the latter serving as a place in which to house the fowls, the rabbits and a goat which was the pride of Paulette’s heart. Of course all this was not accomplished at once, but her uncle had the satisfaction of seeing Lucie installed in her new home before he left the town. She parted from him with sorrow. He was something her very own, her mother’s brother, and the tie of blood was strong. She had learned, before this, of her father’s capture in a night raid when he had sacrificed himself to save his men. Jean brought them an account of it, and the honest fellow wept as he told of it. His “capitaine” was beloved above all men.
In August the French retook ground at Verdun which they had lost the year before. In October they won more ground north of the Aisne. In November came the first encounter between the Americans and the enemy. The latter part of the same month began the battle of Cambrai, when the big crawling tanks did their good work and the British won successes. And so the year went out with victory still hanging in the balance.
In all these months Lucie had seen nothing of Victor. She heard from Coin-du-Pres that Annette had returned, and the first of the year brought the wonderful news that there was a baby Gaspard. The little mother could speak of nothing else in her letters, and it was evident that the whole household was given over to adoring this new member of it.
The winter went quietly enough. There was much work in the canteen. In answer to hurry calls Lucie, Paulette and Odette would drop everything at home, in order to lend a hand in ladling soup and pouring coffee, returning home late at night, quite exhausted but with a warm glow of satisfaction at having been doing a service to France.
Then in March came the great drive. Nearer and nearer advanced the Germans. At one time it seemed as if they must sweep everything before them. The sound of threatening guns grew more and more menacing. The fires of burning villages lighted up the horizon. Lucie and Odette clung together wishing that they had never left Coin-du-Pres. Paulette with an expression of savage fury muttered as she went about her work. Then one morning came a messenger from Miss Lowndes. “We are preparing to evacuate the town. Be ready when you are called upon to leave.”
“Again? Not again?” cried Lucie aghast.
“That’s what it looks like,” said Marcus, the driver of the canteen motor car. “Fritzie is getting back at us. We’ve got to be ready.”
“How soon shall we have to go?”