Each day, hoping against hope, Marie stopped by the bureau de poste. She was used to there being no mail, as their family received little since Pierre had been killed.

"No Marie, nothing today. Sorry." The village knew all about the Canadian Sergeant who had won Marie's heart. Although they would never say so in her presence, they did not believe she would ever see him again.

Marie's father tried his best to keep her spirits up, but personally he had little hope. After his country's defeat in the Franco-Prussian war, and the loss of his only son, he was accustomed to disappointment, and accepted it as his lot. He had no expectation of anything getting better. And he had mixed feelings about John. If the Canadian did come back, he would lose Marie, for what should John do but return to Canada? And naturally a wife would follow her husband. That was the way of things.

Life on the farm became more difficult for Marie, as her father had more and more bad days when he felt he could not work. But she worked the extra hours, and fell asleep exhausted at night, clutching the maple leaf cap badge that John had left her, after making her daily prayer that John would be spared and would come back to her.

Then one morning there was an excited knocking at the door. She opened it to find young Mathieu panting on the doorstep, a letter clutched in his hand.

"Marie! It's your letter! It just came in!" He could barely get the words out. "I ran all the way!"

Marie hugged Mathieu, and found a coin to give to him. She rushed up to her room, flung herself on the bed, and with trembling fingers and racing heart, tore open the letter. Caught between hope and fear as to its contents, she paused for a second before reading.

It was short:

My dearest one,

I do not know how, but your letter reached me. If God spares me, I will come back to you and we will be married.

I love you!

Your John

She buried her face in the pillow and wept for joy.