The suburban citizen., 1901-08-17
. AN oLn lime RoMANcE.s
How Miss Grisel Held Up the POstmRn
and Saved Her Father.


and Saved Her Father.
The Earl OF Aberdeen, speaking at
a dinner Of the United Kingdom Pos.
tai and Telegraph Service Benevolent
Society at Aberdeen, said they had to
20 back to the old mail coach days to
get the picturesque aspect of the pos.
tai service, and to illustrate this he
narrated a romantic incident which
occurred in the reign Of James H.
more than 200 years ago Sir John
Cochrane, son of a fine old nobleman,
Lord Dundonald, was one Of those
who thought the liberties and interests
of the country were in danger, owing
to the policy of the Government of the
day, and resisted it. Sir John was be-
trayed into the hands of the enemy
and was lodged in Edinburgh Jail
One night the door of the prison
opened, and he heard the voice of his
daughter, Grisel, VINO was allowed to
have many talks with him.
Meanwhile the news came that his
condemnation had been settled by the
council, and that the mail would come
next week with his death warrant.
Miss Grisel COchrane told her father
that she had to go away for a few
days. He said: II hope you will do
nothing rash," and she replied that
she would do nothing very rash. She
rode from Edinburgh to Berwick,
where her old nurse lived and there
she changed her clothes for the clothes
of boy. Then she rode to a place be-
tween Berwick and Belford, where
she made inquiries regarding the
Kings mail messengers and where
they used to put up.
Arriving at a small inn about four
miles south of Berwick. she asked
for something to eat. The hostess told
her not to make a noise, because in the
box.bed the Kings mail messenger
was asleep. do be quiet" she said,
with your knife and fork She be.
gan her meal. Can you get me some
waterW The hostess said: "Why, a
Draw lad like you should sup ale"
Have you no cold, fresh water? If
you give me water l viii pay you the
same as for the ale" The hostess ex.
planned that she would have to go to
the well, a long distance off. and it
would take ten minues, but the girl
or rather the apparent boy-persuaded
the woman to go for the water
During her absence the girl went to
the boX-bed-there was the mail mes
senger asleep-a "swack" fellow-with
his mailbag under his head, using II
for pillow. On the table were his
pistols, and very nervously the girl
Withdrew the charges. No sooner was
this done than the hostess returned
with the water. The girl finished her
meal, went on the road, made a cir
cult, and met the mail messenger, and
they rode together a bit. After short
chat she drew little nearer and said:
My friend, l have a fancy for this
mailbag" IF it is a joke" said the
messenger, 1T is a pretty poor one"
She took out a little pistol and pre-
sented it. The messenger pulled out
his pistols, and snap!-the first missed
fire. He threw it away and drew the
other-snap! He had to hand over
the mailbag, and she rode into an ad-
joining wood
She opened the bag, drew out an Off
cial letter, and rode with it to her
nurses house, where it was found to
contain the death warrant of her
father. 1t was put into the fire. She
resumed her girls clothing and rode
quietly to Edinburgh That caused
50 much delay that they managed to
get a reprieve, and her father was
saved. He Cthe speaker had a per-
sonal interest in that incident, as he
understood Grisel Cochrane was a di.
rect ancestor of Lady Aberdeen.-Lon-
don Telegraph