"
There was a report, and a puff of smoke far away over the City,
then the sound of a distant explosion. The daily bombardment had
begun!
"Your friends are firing a farewell salute," said Father Meraut.
All the morning they slipped quietly along between greening
banks, carried by the current farther and farther down-stream. At
noon they drew the boat ashore beneath some willow trees, where
they ate their lunch, and then spent an hour in such rest as they
had not had for many weary months.
It was then, and not until then, that Father Meraut ventured to
.ask his wife her plans. "My dear," he said, as he stretched
himself out in a sunny spot and put his head in Pierrette's lap,
"I have great confidence in you, and will follow you willingly
anywhere, but I should really like to know where we are going."
Mother Meraut looked at him in surprise. "Why, haven't I told
you? " she said "My mind has been so full of it I can't believe
you didn't know that we are going to my father's, if we can get
there! You know their village is on a little stream which flows
into the Aisne some distance beyond its junction with the Vesle.
We could drift down to the place where the two rivers join, and
go on from there to the little stream which flows past
Fontanelle. Then we could row up-stream to the village."
"It's as plain as day, now you tell it," answered her husband,
"and a very good plan, too."
"You see," said Mother Meraut, as she packed away the remains of
the lunch, "I haven't heard a word from them all winter.
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