Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-03-16
Four of
A Kind
Two American Gentlemen Make
Love to Two Peasants In Brit.
tany With Serious Rssults.
By ALLAN WRIGHT.


= Copyright. 1910. by American Press
8 Association. y
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
One summer day two maidens Of
Brittany dressed In the costumes worn
by the peasant classes. walking along
country road. came upon two young
art students sketching. One was seat
ed on stool beside bridge crossing
brook, at work before his touring
easel. while the other was lying on
his back on the grass near by smoking
cigarette. The two girls as they
crossed the bridge gave sidelong
glance at the canvas on the easel.
The artist was putting on the finishing
touches and had succeeded In making
very pretty picture. One Of the girls
stopped for a moment and exclaimed
under her breath. How beautifulw
and was proceeding on her way when
the artist stopped her.
"Will you not ten me-" he called,
what 1t Is in my picture that you
like?"
Certainly, monsieur" she replied in
very sweet voice. 1T is the sunlight,
sifted through the leaves Of the trees,
dancing on the water"
These two young men were George
Atkinson Of Chicago and Gilbert Wal
lace Of San Francisco. 1t was Allin-
son who addressed the girls. Wallace
arose and Joined the other three.
ut seems to me-" the girl added,
still regarding the painting, that there
Is something wanting under the cot
tage on the bank in the background"
Allison looked up at her surprised.
"You are right" he said. 81 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
leans and the two girls. Their CONVEX
sations were carried on in French,
which the young men spoke tolerably
well. Both the girls were comedy, and
1t 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
one who criticised Allinson's painting,
was brunette, Fanchette blond.
Nothing can be more delightful than
Irritation between two girl friends
on the one side and tow men friends ON
hn OIL ,bnv, 10 M
clashing In preferences. Atkinson and
Jeanne paired; Wallace and Fanchette
aid the same. The four met frequent
ly and walked and chatted, most Of
their intercourse being in company Of
the whole. The girls, who were cir
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-
citation with two peasant girls for a
bit Of pastime began to find that there
was a serious side to 1t. 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 cast Were they falling
in love? Were the girls giving away
their hearts? The men could not mar
ry French peasant girls. Yet would it
be honorable. having won their hearts,
to desert them?
A nd
each other over their position, fully
realizing it's seriousness, but making
no effort to break with the girls before
matters should be worse. Preparations
were made between them to fold their
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 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
the portion the father is willing to
give his daughter. Each white band
denotes 500 per annum; each yellow
band represents 5000 year.
One day when this double pair were
together the girls said that one of
these fetes was to come off and 1t
would be pleasant for them all to meet
there. Neither Of the young men real
lied how far he had gone in his affair
till the girl he was devoted to in
roundabout way limited that he would
learn just what dowry he 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
psceived as to the information he could
get as to the dowry his girl would
bring him.
The matter now looked serious In
deed. The two men spent much time
indeed, all their time-endeavoring to