Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1910-03-09
Four of
A Kind
Two American Gentlemen Make
Love TO Two Peasants In Brit
tany With Serious Results
By ALLAN WRIGHT
Copyright, 1910, by American Press
Association.

. Association.
OoOooooooooooo 10000
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 a bridge crossing
a 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 a sidelong
glance at the canvas on the easel.
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 beautiful"
and was proceeding on her way when
the artist stopped her.
"Will you not tell me- he called,
what it is in my picture that you
like?"
Certainly, monsieur" she replied in
very sweet voice. lit is the sunlight,
sifted through the leaves of the trees,
dancing on the water"
These two young men were George
Allinson of Chicago and Gilbert Wal
lace of San Francisco. 1t was Allin-
son who addressed the girls. Wallace
arose and joined the other three.
1T 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
we'll Both the girls were comely, 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
one who criticised Allinsons painting,
was a brunette, Fanchette a 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
! ly and walked and chatted, most of
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-
citation 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 a will
ing ear. In time the expression of
pleasure and amusement gave way to
a 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?
Atkinson and Wallace consulted with
each other over their position, fully
realizing it's seriousness, but making
| no effort tO brooly with tbo oi1IC boforo
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 a cataract.
They have a 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 tt
give his daughter. Each white banG
denotes 500 per annum; each yellow
band represents 5000 a year.
One day when this double pair were
together the girls said that one o.
these fetes was to come off and i
would be pleasant for them all to NEE
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 mel
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 hat
received as to the information he coult
get as to the dOwry his girl woult
bring him.
The matter now looked serious in
deed The two men spent much time
:. indeed. all their me-endeavoring Z
lind way out of the escapade, neithe
De them wishing TO find such a way