The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-25
TIE EVENING STORY
ApoiIOS Three.
(By Dorothy Douglas }

! chair lay the photographs of three
men. For the moment the girl wished
that she, too, like her namesake, might
+ be turned into a laurel tree and thus
| escape the pursuit of her lovers.
! But I am in much worse predica-
ment than the nymph; she was flee
! ing from but one Apollo, while I have
| three in warm pursuit.
Six masculine eyes seemed to wait
expectantly for an answer from her
| lips. A petulant smile fiuttered into
Daphne's face.
Il really do not know which one
| of you 1 love- she said to the pic
lures. Antonio Beppo looked back
| at her with his dark eyes of south
ern Italy; Casper Ruyler's face ex-
pressed the North German stolidity
and Jack Holiday was the clean
shaven American.
1T takes Sis to pick out the good
| lockers" Daphne's brother was wont
to remark when any or all of the suit
| ors were in sight. But it's a cinch
she will have to select winner and
let the others go. I would toss a coin
| if it was my affair."
1T would not only be undignified,
| but it would be disrespectful to toss
a COIN" thought Daphne, yet 1 really
must make up my mind which one to
| marry
1t spoke we'll for both Beppo and
Ruyter that they had come to Amer
| lea as Steerage passengers and that
they were each now the owner of sue
cessfu1 business premises. The bust
ness acumen under Daphnes nut
brown hair was more or less vague.
1T simply resolves itself into this"
decided the modern nymph, that since
I cannot be turned into a laurel tree
in order to escape my pursuers I will
have to take a trip to the continent.
Perhaps after a visit to both Italy and
NAv~y1 i
prefer to live on black bread and olive
oil or beer and pretzels.' Daphne
smiled at the light vein of thought
into which she had drifted. The idea
of trip however, had been planted
| in her mind. She knew little of many
of the languages, and it was a scant
week before Daphne had her trunks on
top of a taxi and was whirling toward
the steamer docks.
In her cabin trunk, carefully packed,
were the pictures of her three Apol-
los. IF 1 have not made up my mind
by the time I return she unused, 81
will send them all away She board
ed the ocean liner and began her joy
Gus trip.
1t was in Naples that Daphne had
her first unusual experience. 1t wa
in regard to Antonio Beppo. She had
been sightseeing and had returned to
the hotel. Having opened her door
quietly, she was surprised to see the
. maid in her room stamping with both
/ furious little feet upon something on
the floor.
swift glance at the fragments re-
naming told her that one of her be-
loved Apollos was being smashed to
pieces. A second glance at her bu-
, reau and the two photographs there
told her that it was Beppo who was
being trampled beneath the furious
/ little Italians feet.
mel" the girl cried in her tempestous
way Daphne could understand Ital-
ian. He never come back He make
money and leave me here-waiting /
hate him! hate him, hate hint" she
burst forth and with last stamn on
Beppo's face she flew from the room.
Daphne sank into chair and viewed
the wreckage. She knew not whether
to laugh or cry. In her heart she felt
sorry for the girls whom men leave
behind them when they go to seek their
fortunes. Afterward she swept rp the
fragments of the handsome Beppo's pic
ture and as she flung them into the
fireplace a peculiar sense of relief came
over her. Certainly there was no love
in her heart for the man who could so
heartlessly desert the sweetheart of his
Italian days.
MY number of Apollos has dimin-
ished," she laughed and decided to
pack up and leave for Germany
| In Dresden the art was so beautiful
and the framing 50 exquisite that
Daphne decided to have her photo
graphs reframed
In the little shop she went to for
that purpose she had a second expert
! ence. The rosy-cheeked matron behind
the counter gave a start of surprise
when she beheld the handsome face of
| Caspar Ruyter staring at her from
Daphne's photograph A quizzical
/ IL in har
she glanced at Daphne.
'fCaspar Ruyterr exclaimed the Ger
man frau in English. He did fIirt
with me-before he go to America"
She smiled back at Daphne and patted
the head of tiny tow-headed boy at
her side. IT no love him 1ong-he left
me and 1 marry Fritz" The cuntented
, smile that basked in the little mothers
eyes told Daphne that no broken heart
was hers.
Later. when she had left the shop,
Daphne remembered that she had left
her photograph of Caspar Ruyter 1y-
ing face downward on the counter She
did rot return for it.
TT looks as if America would win"
she unused. There is but one of my
Apollos left in the race
On the way back home Daphne felt
peculiarly happy. The ship was but a
day out and Jack Holidays picture
smiled back at her from the small toilet
cabinet beside her birth. There were
two other girls in the cabin with her,
and she reioiced when they in turn ad-
mired her handsome sweetheart
The stewardess coming into the ca bin
with tea cast a surprised glance at the
picture and then one at each of the
girls.
whichever one of you loves him."
she remarked laughingly, will have her
hands full He smashed all the hearts
on the ship when he crossed with us
two years ago."
Daphne stifled a wild desire to-