Read "A Little Maid of Picardy" by Amy Ella Blanchard online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
It was with many misgivings that Lucie started out upon her walk to the village. Pom Pom, however, had nothing upon his mind after having settled the food question for the moment. All that was required of him was to keep his mistress in sight, but Lucie had far more anxious thoughts as she went on. She was now sure that something had happened to Paulette whose devotion to the family would permit nothing short of utter disability from keeping her overnight. As for her grandfather, Lucie felt that here too was another cause for worry. What had become of him? Was she to be left utterly alone? she who had always lived such a peaceful, protected life? With Paulette and her grandfather vanished mysteriously, how could she reach Paris? and even supposing she were able to do this, what would she do when she got there? She must make every effort to find her mother and father. How would she best set about doing this? She felt herself such a tiny speck in such a big world. Finally her lips took to forming only the words: "Brave, I must be brave," as she trudged on. The distance was greater than she had believed, and with no more nourishment than part of a loaf of bread she did not feel herself any too well fortified for so long a walk.
She had reached the outskirts of the town without seeing any one. Except for the distant roar of guns, the occasional crash of a collapsing wall, the far-off whir of an airplane, there were no disturbing sounds.