UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                                        
                                  SCHEDULE 13G
                                        
                    Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                               (Amendment No.   )*
                                        
                         Cash America International Inc.
                                (Name of Issuer)
                                        
                          Common Share, $.10 par value
                         (Title of Class of Securities)
                                        
                                    14754D10
                                 (CUSIP Number)
                                        
Check the following box if a fee is being paid with this statement (X).  (A fee
is not required only if the filing person: (1) has a previous statement on file
reporting beneficial ownership of more than five percent of the class of
securities described in Item 1; and (2) has filed no amendment subsequent
thereto reporting beneficial ownership of five percent or less of such class.)

*  The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however see the Notes).

                                Page 1 of 7 Pages
                                        


SCHEDULE 13G
CUSIP NO. 14754D10
Page 2 of 7 Pages

1    NAME OF REPORTING PERSON:  Wanger Asset Management, L.P.
     S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON: 36-3820584
2    CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP:  Not Applicable
          a ( )     b ( )
3    SEC USE ONLY
4    CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION:  Delaware
NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING WITH:
5    SOLE VOTING POWER:  None
6    SHARED VOTING POWER:  1,669,200
7    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER:  None
8    SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER: 1,669,200
9    AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON: 1,669,200
10   CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW 9 EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES: ( )
11   PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9:  5.81%
12   TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON:  IA


SCHEDULE 13G
CUSIP NO. 14754D10
Page 3 of 7 Pages

1    NAME OF REPORTING PERSON:  Wanger Asset Management, Ltd.
     S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON:
2    CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP:  Not Applicable
          a ( )     b ( )
3    SEC USE ONLY
4    CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION:  Delaware
NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING WITH:
5    SOLE VOTING POWER:  None
6    SHARED VOTING POWER: 1,669,200
7    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER:  None
8    SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER: 1,669,200
9    AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON: 1,669,200
10   CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW 9 EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES: ()
11   PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9:  5.81%
12   TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON:  CO


SCHEDULE 13G
CUSIP NO. 14754D10
Page 4 of 7 Pages

1    NAME OF REPORTING PERSON:  Ralph Wanger
     S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON:
2    CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP:  Not Applicable
          a ( )     b ( )
3    SEC USE ONLY
4    CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION: U.S.A.
NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING WITH:
5    SOLE VOTING POWER:  None
6    SHARED VOTING POWER: 1,669,200
7    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER:  None
8    SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER: 1,669,200
9    AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON: 1,669,200
10   CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW 9 EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES: ( )
11   PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9:  5.81%
12   TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON:  IN


Page 5 of 7 Pages

Item 1(a)   Name of Issuer:  Cash America International Inc.

Item 1(b)   Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:
            1600 West 7th Street
            Fort Worth, TX 76102

Item 2(a)   Name of Person Filing:
              Wanger Asset Management, L.P. ("WAM");
              Wanger Asset Management, Ltd., the general partner of WAM
                ("WAM LTD.");
              Ralph Wanger ("Wanger")

Item 2(b)   Address of Principal Business Office:
              WAM, WAM LTD. and Wanger are all located at:
              227 West Monroe Street, Suite 3000
              Chicago, Illinois 60606

Item 2(c)   Citizenship:
              WAM is a Delaware limited partnership.
              WAM LTD. is a Delaware corporation.
              Wanger is a U.S. citizen.

Item 2(d)   Title of Class of Securities: Common Stock, $.10 par value

Item 2(e)   CUSIP Number: 14754D10

Item 3      Type of Person:
            (e)  WAM is an Investment Adviser registered under section 203
                 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940; WAM LTD. is the
                 general partner of the Investment Adviser; Wanger is the
                 principal stockholder of the general partner.

Item 4      Ownership (at December 31, 1995):
            (a)  Amount owned "beneficially" within the meaning of rule
                 13d-3: 1,669,200 shares
            (b)  Percent of class:  5.81% (based on 28,731,386 shares
                 outstanding at 10/31/95)
            (c)  Number of shares as to which such person has:
                   (i)  sole power to vote or to direct the vote:  None
                  (ii)  shared power to vote or to direct the vote: 1,669,200
                 (iii)  sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition
                        of:  None
                  (iv)  shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition
                        of: 1,669,200

            WAM serves as investment adviser to Acorn Investment Trust, Series
Designated Acorn Fund (the "Trust").  Various of WAM's limited partners and
employees are also officers and trustees of the Trust, but WAM does not consider
the Trust to be controlled by such persons.  Although the Trust is not
controlled by WAM, pursuant to rule 13d-3(a) the 1,220,000 shares beneficially
owned by the Trust, with respect to which the Trust has delegated to WAM shared
voting power and shared dispositive power, are considered to be shares
beneficially owned by WAM by reason of such delegated powers.  In addition to
the shares beneficially owned by the Trust, other clients of WAM may own shares
which hare not included in the aggregate number of shares reported herein
because WAM does not have or share voting or investment power over those shares.


Page 6 of 7 Pages

Item 5      Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:

            If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as of the
            date hereof the reporting person has ceased to be the beneficial
            owner of more than five percent of the class of securities, check
            the following ( ).

Item 6      Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person:
            The shares reported herein have been acquired on behalf of
            discretionary clients of WAM.  Persons other than WAM are entitled
            to receive all dividends from, and proceeds from the sale of, those
            shares.

Item 7      Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired
            the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding Company:
            Not Applicable

Item 8      Identification and Classification of Members of the Group:
            Not Applicable

Item 9      Notice of Dissolution of Group:
            Not Applicable

Item 10     Certification:

            By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and
belief, the securities referred to above were acquired in the ordinary course of
business and were not acquired for the purpose of and do not have the effect of
changing or influencing the control of the issuer of such securities and were
not acquired in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having
such purpose or effect.


Page 7 of 7 Pages

                                    Signature
                                        
            After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief,
I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.

Date: February 9, 1996

                    The undersigned corporation, on the date above written,
                    agrees and consent to the joint filing on its behalf of
                    this Schedule 13G in connection with its beneficial
                    ownership of the security reported hersein.

                                         WANGER ASSET MANAGEMENT, LTD.
                                           for itself and as general partner of
                                           WANGER ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P.

                                         By:  Robert M. Slotky
                                            ---------------------------
                                              Chief Financial Officer

                    The undersigned individual, on the date above written,
                    agrees and consent to the joint filing on his behalf of
                    this Schedule 13G in connection with his beneficial
                    ownership of the security reported herein.

                                         RALPH WANGER

                                         Ralph Wanger
                                         ------------------------------