The Topeka state journal., 1919-10-25
EVENING STORY
Three Possibilities.
BY r. RAY BAKER.

il His cigar tilted at an angle of 45
| degrees, one leg swinging slightly in
indication of contentment, Norman ].
Haskell read from the front page with
! strong personal interest and satisfac-
| ton. Presently he folded the paper
and laid it on corner of his desk,
while he leaned back in the swivel
! chair and meditated, and there
luster of his eyes.
His partner entered and interrupted
the flow of thought.
Afternoon, Marvin" saluted
Haskell. as the stocky figure with the
| boyish face drew off his gloves, and,
depositing them in the crown of his
| brown derby, hung the latter on a
hook protruding from the wall.
This ceremony concluded, he ap-
preached the desk, rubbing his hands
business trick and was congratulating
| himself. Haskell showed a nearby
chair to a position at the corner of
| the desk on which lay the printed
to seat himself, still rubbing his hands
and smiling. Before he was settled,
however. his hands had stopped their
caressing of one another and the smile
was superseded by an expression of
| astonishment. 4. He was gazing at the
newspaper.
! whats this, what's this?" he ex-
claimed with an air of wonderment.
| Whats this. 1 say? Here's a picture
of the Marquis of Downsberry, to-
and one of them is Evelyn, your sis
ter. Let's see. 1t says Marquis
| coming to America for Possibilities
That means he's looking for an
American bride. and Eyelyn-can it
be he's considering Evelyn ?''
Haskelrs smile almost seemed con-
| descending.
1T means just that" he admitted
! Evelyn has chance of marrying
| into the royal family. It's a standoff
young ladies whose photos are
| grouped around the marquis He's
coming on his steam yacht and ex-
poets to arrange series of cruises
during which he will make his choice
| Won't it be great, Marvin, if Evelyn
| wins? Just think of it, that'n make
/ me third hunkydorance-in-law of
the king by marriage, or something
like that, won't it3"
Hmm was Marvin's response. as
he settled himself in the chair and
continued reading.
Mrs. chrome Rodney Haskell was
beaming.
Your great opportunity has,arrived,
/ Evelyn" she said to the slim young
woman perched on the window-seat.
Evelyn did not beam, but her lips per-
mitted flashing smile to form. Was
1t exultation showing in the girls
countenance? Mrs. Haskell never
| could quite determine the meaning of
an expression on her daughters face
| Mrs. Haskell felt she had a perfect
right to~beam. That very day she and
! her daughter. with a few of the other
members of their set, would leave New
/ ork on the steam yacht of the Mar
quis of DoWnsberry. 1t was the third
and last possibility cruise" the mar
quls intended making. Already he had
| conducted two such cruises, each of
| them having as a guest of honor one
| of his marriage prospects.
Evelyn was the last candidate :"
| After this third trip on the blue the
| marquis would make his choice. and
| of course an anxious world would be
waiting breathlessly tor his decision.
| 1t must be understood that the Has
| kells were one of the foremost fam
Lilies of America. and Evelyn Haskell
was a leader of the fashionable young
er set and the cause of much heart
| burning and heart breaking. Her
mother had frowned on many of the
suits for Evelyh's hand and had toler-
! ated some of them. principally be-
cause her daughter had a propensity
! for getting~her owT way, but had
| always admO .iished the latter to wait
awhile before choosing husband, be-
cause she was confident something
worth while was coming. Mrs. Has
kell and Evelyn had made several
| trips abroad, ostensibly to study art,
| altho there were some prying persons
who claimed there were Interior mo-
tives in which prospective husbands
| with titles were concerned. Be that
! as il may, Mrs. Haskell was now bask-
| ing in the sunshine of Il told you so"
satisfaction.
The cruise was not to be an extend
| ed 'one At no time would the party
be more than thirty miles from New
York. In fact, the yacht was expect
ed to travel in a circle. spending two
| and possibly three nights on the Voy-
age. Various forms of entertainment
were arranged, including dancing. It
was intended that the marquis should
have every opportunity to note the
| charms and likewise the flaws OF the
candidate for his love and lands.
| The marquis was a rather droiI
| looking young man who, strange to re-
! late, was not equipped with mon
| acle He had a very pleasing way
about him, which was only natural
considering the social education he
had received; and he had an appear
ance that went with his personality.
In fact. deprive him of his title and
| he would still make a very attractive
looking husband.
her on the cruise, while Evelyn con-
tinued to carry that little smile which
might denote anything, butt which
surely must indicate happiness at
| being chosen one of the candidates
from whom the marquis would select
a bride. If she came thru the weed
ing-out" process as fortunately as her
friends hoped she would, soon the por-
tails of English nobility would open to
receive her.
In the afternoon of the second day
of the cruise Mrs. Haskell lost her
beam. 1t was due to an incident that
might have been serious had it not
been for-but that is getting ahead
of the story.
The party had just arisen from tea,
when out of the distance came the
putty -put-put-put of gasoline motor.
! Diversion was welcome even on an oc-
casion of this kind, and the men and
women hurried from the dining room,
thinking perhaps an airplane was
about to pay them a visit