Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-08-16
A CHASE
By ELLA WHEATON
Copyright BY American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

GreatoriX was at least avarieiouA
She had no children of her own. but a
stepdaughter Moreover, the husband
and father had died, leaving 100000
to his widow and 100000 to his
daughter, Alice.
Alice was fifteen years old when
her father died and, having no other
home, remained with her stepmother.
She feared her fathers widow and
would have been glad to get away
from her, but she was too young to
Lay plans for such a purpose.
There was a clause in the Greatorix
will that if Alice was not married by
the time she was eighteen $4,000 of
her fortune was to go to her step.
mother. If she had no children at
/ twenty-five another $4,000 was to go
to her stepmother. Why Mr.. Greatorix
threw such a temptation in the way
of his wife to keep his daughter I'M
married does not appear. The most
| probable solution is that it was the
result of a compromise-that the wife
was claiming more and finally got
this stipulation out of him.
/ Unfortunately for the stepmother's
plans Alice must go to school. At the
high school when she was seventeen
she met a youth of eighteen, and be
tween them there sprang up an at
tachment. Roger Ashurst called or-
casionally on Alice, but it didn't take
him long to discover that he was OBJ
noxious to the stepmOther. Opposi-
ton is an excellent incentive to love,
and Roger as soon as he left the high
school and went into business began
to lay plans to possess the girl he
found so much difficulty in counting.
Besides, Alice had told him of the
why's and wherefores of the case, and
he saw plainly that in order to help
Alice he must obtain the legal rights
of a husband.
AS the girl approached the age OF
eighteen her stepmother began to
watch her very closely-so closely, IL
deed, that she was unable to commune
cate with her lover, Mrs. Greatoriy
intercepting all her letters. Two weeks
before Alice's eighteenth birthday she
was locked up in her room. But one
night as she was going to bed, hea:
ing shot thrown against her window
ghe opened it, and stone was thrown
In to which was attached a note from
Roger stating that he would watch
for her aunt to go out and when she
did he would enter the house and take
her away.
{, A couple of days after this Alice was
not especially surprised at her bed
room door being kicked open, and there
stood Roger. Hastily putting on hel
hat and wraps, she went with hin
downstairs, got into an automobile
and was starting when Mrs. Creators
appeared, hurrying home.
A garage was located around the cor
ner, and thither the stepmother ran
hired an auto and made chase. Th;
fugitives had taken a broad avenut
which was the most feasible outlet
and into this avenue Mrs. Creators
ordered her chauffeur to proceed Sht
saw the auto in which her daughter
was elOping-she recognized it by 1t!
! color-just turning into a side street
For several minutes it was lost to her
but on turning into the side street sht
herself caught sight of it trying to pas!
cab that stood in the way. While
she looked the auto chugged past thu
y back and darted on at full pace.
f When Mrs. Greatorix reached tn,
vehicle that had blocked the way he
chauffeur endeavored to pass it on thu
right, but at the moment the hazel
swerved to that side of the narrow
! street. The chauffeur moved to thu
e left and the hack also turned to tina
h side.
G Run him down. cried Mrs. Great
orix. Hes in league with the elopers,'
But when the chauffeur tried agaiI
to make a passage the hack drew gu
S of the way and let him pass. The pur
y suing auto soon turned into anothe
: avenue, and Mrs. GreatoriX, looking
4 first in one direction, then in the other
saw the fugitive auto moving south
ward
+ There it is" she cried. "Put on al
your power"
e., They followed the auto twenty mile
q into the country, when it stopped sud
+ denly.
"Now's your chance" she said tt
her chauffeur. Don't let them ge
away"
But the chauffeur was obliged t.
5 slow up for the reason that the driver
D Of the other machine got out to III
something. When Mrs. Creators
pulled up beside him he was working
with a monkey wrench. His auto was
empty.
Mrs. Greatorix was so mad that sht
= abused the fellow for leading her OF
- q wild goose chase. He looked at he
0 innocently, apparently not knowing
what she was talking about. Then
not waiting for rejoinder, she order
u ed her Chauffeut to turn about and &c
back to the city.
d Meanwhile TIE lovers had been mar
ried
Mrs. GreatCrix never knew their
method of escape. AsAurst had not
counted on her returning so soon. Elk.
poDAipor fbn4 gt, would PCIIpvyy 4