The Press., 1911-03-01
Four of
 A Kind Two American Gentlemen Make Love to Two Peasants In BGit. tany With Serious Results.
By ALLAN WRIGHT.
Copyright, 1910, by American Press
 Association.


 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 a 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 sidelong glance at the canvas on the easel. The artist was putting on the finishing touches and had succeeded ill making a 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.
 twill you not tell me- he called. "what it is in my picture that you like?"
 Certainly, monsieur" she replied in a very sweet voice. Ut 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. It was Allin- son who addressed the girls. Wallace arose and joined the other three.
 "It seems to me-" the girl added, still regard ng 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. Il 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 conver- sations were carried on in French, which the young men spoke tolerably well. 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 one who criticised Allinson's painting, was q brunette, FancAette blond, Nothing can be more delightful than filtration between two girl friends on the one side and tow men friends on the other. especially when there is no clashing in preferences. Alltnson and Jeanne paired: Wallace and Fanchette did the same. The four met frequent l ly ard walked and chatted, most of their intercourse being in company of l -I,ylo 0ir1Q Vyh | 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 serious side to it. Their com munications grew more and more like lovemaking, and the girls gave W ing ear. Tn time the expression oi 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 fl l GS to desert them?
 Atkinson and Wallace consulted witt 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 theil easels and sketching chairs and go tC Paris, from whence they came, an6 thus cut the Gordian knot. But wher one was ready to go the other backed out. And so they drifted as in boa toward cataract.
 They have q curious custom in Brit tany. On certain fete days the mar riageable girls appear in red petticOat: with white or yellow borders round them. The number of borders denotl the portion the father is willing t give his daughter. Each white band denotes $2O per annum: each yellow band represents $2OO year.
 One day when this double pair wer' together the girls said that one o. these fetes was to come off and i would be pleasant for them all to mee, there. Neither of the young men real ized how far he had gone in his affair till the girl he was devoted to in { roundabout way hinted that he would learn just what dowry he might ex pect her to bring him. The young meI agreed to meet the girls at the fete then when the former were alone to gether they compared notes, each ad mitting to the other the hint he haC received 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-endeavorfng tC find way out of the escapade, neither of them wishing to fiEd such way They drifted into the hall as they hat drifted into the affair itself, thougl they made resolution to show thu girls that they did not consider thu affair of any serious consequence b! doing considerable of their dancing with others. But they had been mak ing such resolutions ever since the af fair commenced.
 | 0CaA A4CNAC LAA0SSs ANAAUA AC0 &AAAA0 son to Wallace. '"They will suppos' us to be especially interested in th stripes on their petticoats."
 And if either of them can show yellow band she'll regard the matte fixed beyond doubt. Fancy you, witt an income of thousand, being caugh by dowry of two hundred year."
 And fancy you, heir to big prop erty, being caught by couple of whit stripes representing $2O year each"
 "Do you know what think we de serve| said Wallace. we deserve t be roasted over slow fire.''
 You mean. you deserve that. Yol made eyes at Fanchette the momen you saw her."
 You began 1t yourself by asking her to criticise your picture"
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