Putnam patriot., 1910-03-25
Four of
 A Kind
Two American Gentlemen Make Love to Two Peasants In Brit.
 tsny With Seriovx Results.
By ALLAN WRIGHT.
Isaa, by American Press
 Association A


 oooooooooooooooooooooooooo Q One summer day two maidens of Brittany dressed in the costumes worn by the peasant classes. walking along a country road. came upon two young art students sketching One was seat ed on stool beside q bridge crossing brook. at work before his touring easel, while the other was lying on his back on the grass near by smoking a cigarette The two girls as they crossed the bridge gave sidelong The artist was putting on the finishing touches and had succeeded in making a very pretty picture. One of the girls stopped for moment and exclaimed under her breath. How heautiful." and was proceeding on her way when the artist stopped her.
 Will you not tell me" he called. what 1t is in my picture that you likes"
 Certainly. monsieur. she replied In a very swret soice. II Is the sunlight sifted through the Ieases of tue trees dancing on the water"
 These TWO xeung men were George Allinson of Chicago and Gilbert Wal lace of san FranC iscn. It was Allins son who addressed the girls. Wallace arose and joined the ether three.
 "lt seems h me" the girl added, still regard ns the painting. that there is something wanting under the cot tage en the bank in the background"
 Allison looked up at her surprised You are right" he said. "l have omitted to put in the reflection of the house in the water"
 This was the beginning of an ac- quaintance between the two Amer jeans and the two girls. Their cenver- satiens were carried on in French. which the young men spoke tolerably we'll Both the girls were comedy. and it seemed to the men that there was something about them to render them superior to their class Having been asked their names. they gave them as Jeanne and Fanchette. Jeanne, the Ole WHO cIilitiStu <Afiilispu was a brunette. Fanchette blond.
 Nothing can be more delightful than irritation between two girl friends on the one side and tow men friends on the other. especially when there is no clashing in preferences. Allinson and Jeanne paired: Wallace and Fanchette did the same. The four met frequent n.x H. kak cf their intercourse being in company of the whole. The girls, who were cir cumspect, were not to be found by the young men separated, though when all met they would at times stroll in pairs in different directions.
 The time came when the two Ameri cans who had entered upon this asso- ciation with two peasant girls for a bit of pastime began to find that there was a serious side to it. Their com munications grew more and more like lovemaking, and the girls gave will ing ear. In time the expression of pleasure and amusement gave way to thoughtful east Were they falling in love? Were the girls giving away their hearts? The men could not mar " French peasant girls. Yet would II be honorable. having won their hearts, to desert them?
 Allinson and Wallace consulted with each other over their position, fully realizing its seriousness. but making no effort to break with the girls before matters should be worse. Preparations were made between them to fold theii easels and sketching chairs and go to Paris. from whence they came, and thus cut the Gordian knot But when one was ready to go the other backed out. And so they drifted as in boat toward a cataract.
 They have curious custom in Brit tany. On certain fete days the mar riageable girls appear in red petticoats with white or yellow borders round them. The number of borders denote give his daughter. Each white band denotes 500 per annum; each yellow band represents s2O0 year.
 One day when this double pair were together the girls said that one of these fetes was to come off and Il would be pleasant for them all tosmeet there Neither of the young men real ized how far he had gone in his affair till the girl he was devoted to fin I roundabout way hinted that he would learn just what dowry be might ex- pect her to bring him. The young men agreed to meet the girls at the fete. then when the former were alone to- gether they compared notes. each ad- hitting to the other the hint he had received as to the information he could get as 10 the dowry his girl would bring him.
 The matter now looked serious in- deed. The two men spent much time indeed, all their tirne-endeavoring tn find a way out of the eseapade. neither of them wishing to find such q way. They drifted into the ball as they had drifted into the affair Itself. though they made resolution to show the girls that they did not consider the affair of any serious consequence by doing considerable of their dancing with others. But they had been mak- ing such resolutions ever since the af- fair commenced
 Dear little thingsw remarked Allin- son to Wallace sThey will suppose us to be especially interested in tho stripes on their petticoats."
 And if either of them can show . yellow band she'll regard the matter fixed beyond a doubt Fancy yon. witt