Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1913-10-23
A Chase
F0raWife;
She Led the Chaser a Pretty
Dance
By F. A. Mitchell

bell at the University club. and waiter
answered the summons.
"ls Mr.. Kennard in the club?'
''I'll see. sir. Hold the wire"
A messenger was sent scurrying
through the apartments and found
Kennard engaged in game Of poker
in one of the private rooms.
you're wanted at the telephone. SIR
Kennard vent 70 the telephone booth
and asked who had called him.
81 am Mr. Gaffney of Gaffney, Cal
derwood & Funk. attorneys. We have
q telegram from correspondents in San
Francisco announcing the death OF
Norman L. kennard"-
my uncle!'
HE has bequeathed his fortune to
you, but there is IL condition involving
q limit of time which induced our cor
respondent to use the telegraph instead
Of the mail would recommend you
to call at our Office at once since what
we have to communicate is not exactly
the thing to be transmitted over
telephone"
Call cab" said Mr. Kennard, and
in ten minutes he was in Mr.. Gaffney's
private Office. where the telegram that
announced his uncle's death was shown
him. 1t contained brief clause of the
will that. since the testator wished that
his fortune should be kept together
and desired his stepdaughter. Agatha
IN oh in hn n
was conditional on Kennard marry
ing Miss Burch. The limit of time was
short. being but six weeks. and Miss
Burch, who was great traveller. was
abroad.
Mr.. Kennard got busy" at once. A
steamer would sail in six hours. and he
spent most Of this time telegraphing
to learn the whereabouts of Miss
Burch. Unfortunately no one knew
inst where to locate her. Her perma-
nent address was Paris. from whence
her mail was forwarded to her. Ken
nard determined to make straight for
that city, where he would learn. the
last order given for the forwarding of
mail.
During the voyage his mind was
continually on the matter before him.
He had never seen Miss Burch. but
had heard that she had been something
Of belle in San Francisco society. was
pretty and Of an independent and a
fearless disposition. She had been
abroad several times and each time
had penetrated farther into barbarous
okv40
that her stepfather. who was opposed
to her ramblings. had refrained from
bequeathing her any part of his for
tune outright since 1t would leave her
free to continue them rather than set
fling down in permanent home She
had been his sole reliance in a domes-
tic way. and he had been bitterly op-
posed to this trip she had taken. She
was very fond of her stepfather. but
20 great was her passion for visiting
out Of the way lands that she had
promised him If he would consent to
this one trip she would never go on
another. When she left he was per.
1ectly we'll. but soon after sickened and
died. with no one to smooth his pillow
will was the result of this lamentable
situation.
When Kennard reached Paris he be
took himself to the branch Office of IL
banking house in the Place Vendome.
where he learned that the last place
designated FOR forwarding Miss Burch's
mail was Vienna. At the time war
OF hot In
Balkan states and the Turks.
For heavens sake" exclaimed Ken
nard II hope her mania for seeing
things won't lead her to visit the the
ater of war. If have to hunt for her
there it will be like looking for nee
die in haystack."
Taking the first train for Vienna he
4 had the bad luck to meet with an &C.
cident and was delayed twelve hours.
On reaching Vienna he learned that
Miss Burch had left four hours before
his arrival. Orders had been left at
the Office of he's hotel to forward mail
TO Belgrade. the capital of Servia. There
was no train for that point till even
ing. and he was Obliged to lounge about
~CoA ~ uCu VIC uOut
for departure came be was told that
owing to the unsettled conditions and
the mobilization Of troops there was no
prospect Of getting through on sched.
uled time. This added to his discom.
future. and each day. each hour. the
fear grew mon him that be might not
catch the lady in time
Kennard was delayed two days in
Budapest owing to the railway equip.
ment being used in the movement OF
troops and did not reach Belgrad97fn-
I'll the end Of the third day after leav-
ing Vienna. On reaching his destinu
ton he drove hurriedly to the address
Miss Burch had left at her hotel and
learned that she had taken IL train for
Bucharest. in Roumania.
Great Scott" calculated the pursu.
1ng man. She's getting nearer and