The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-17

now a double incentive was his to visit the court of Edward, for there the Bruces, father and son, were held pris oners of state and there he would be sure to get word of the fate of Helen Mar.
 q have kept my word" said Wallace to the tumultuous lords who cried for his blood. "I have freed Scotland. l now lay down the power. See that you render an account of your stewardship as justly HIS I have done.'
 Disguised as 8 wondering minstrel. Wal lace sought the castle of Durham, where he easily obtained admittance. No one penetrated his disguise. He played and sang before tho King, who. still weak from his wound, had his court there Be- fore long Wallace managed to sec the younger Bruce and found him the only representative of the royalty of Scotlano his father having died shortly before. He learned also that Lord de Valence had gone with Helen to France. being on his way to Guienne, where he hoped to force her into a marriage. So far she had been treated by her captor as Il prisoner, but had suffered no other in- dignity, De Valence being desirous of allying himself legally with the house of Mar with view to becoming Regent of Scotland for Edward when the King should once more conquer that country The bearing of the harper soon eX cited suspicion among the courtiers of | Edward. Then 1t was discovered that l he was In conference with Bruce, and ] the King gave orders for his immediate arrest. His life would have paid the penalty had not the noble Earl of ! Gloucester, the kings son-in-law, l taking of Berwick, repaid his obliga- l tion by conducting him through q l secret passage leading from the castle to the open country
 q go to France" said Wallace in taking leave of Bruce, and when you can make your escape join me at Rouen."
 The two men on whom the destiny of Scotland most depended met at the ancient Norman capital and resolved to proceed to Paris and seek the aid of ! the French King for their country. On | the journey they stopped at castle which they found to be occupied by the dethroned King Baliol now a pensioner | upon the charity of France. Also they l found that the day before there had l arrived an English lord with his train I and having with i.im d lady who was | kept in strict custody. It was the Lord l de Valence with the captive Helen Mar. | That night they rescued Helen and. dis l guising her as a page, bore her away to l Paris. There they obtained the aid that they desired from the French King and
  | again to overrun Scotland. Bruce and Wallace, with Lady Helen, soon found 1 themselves once more in their native | land. Again Wallace raised his stand : ard and again the hardy Scots Hooked to it. His very name was trumpet call that stirred the nation and started | the Southrons in retreat.
 Bruce, not willing to assume the crown i until he had struck a blow for 1t, served | under Wallace unknown to all, under the | name of the Count dc Longueville. ALSO 1 there served as a volunteer on the stait ] of Wallace a knight, slight of form but
 valiant in battle. who was known as the , Green Knight. His armor was green and | a green plume waved over the casque.
 which was always kept closed, His name, he said, he would reveal only to Wallace 1 when the Southron had been driven | across the border. Finally this was &C., complished. For third time Wallace had
 freed his country of the invaders. But
 his heart was sorrowful because the 1 Bruce was not with him to share his final
 victory. The young King had been badly
 wounded in an engagement and now lay
 seriously i'll in the castle of Hunting
 tower.
 As Wallace sat in his tent on the even
 ing of the day when the last Southron
 had been driven across the border there
 came to him the night of the Green
 Plume. "I have fought by your side, Sir
 William Wallace" said the knight. "l
 would gladly have died to shield you In
 the hour of battle. You have my life In your hands: look upon me and say
 whether I am to live or die, for without
 your regard I cannot live" The knight
 raised his visor and disclosed the features | of the widowed Countess of Mar.
 Be my husband, Wallace" she cried.
 "and all right shall perish before my love
 and your aggrandizement. In these arms
 you shall bless the day you first saw
 Johanna of Strathearn."
 Cease, unhappy lady," cried Wallace
 You already know the decision of this
 widowed h~art."
 Lady Mar looked steadfastly at him
 "Then receive my last determination,
 cried she. and plunged a dagger Into his
 breast. He caught the arm as 1t struck
 but the blow reached sufficiently to cause
 torrent of blood to gush out. and hiss
 ing, 'T have killed thee, insolent man,
 she turned to go. But Wallace was no'
 severely wounded, and stanching the
 blood with his scarf he said Lady Mar
 go. Leave this camp at once and resume
 your proper habiliments No one shal
 ever know what has taken place here. . Proud man." answered the countess. T
 will see your head upon the block. Wher
 you mount the scaffold remember Jo-
 hanna of Strathearn." And the KnighI
 of tho Green Plume was seen no more
 in the Scottish camp.
 As soon as Scotland was free from tn,
 invader the old dissensons broke oui ] again among the nobles, and large
 party of them sought to hand Wallace
 over to the English as a prisoner Unable
 to hold his own against treachery tho Knight of Ellerslie, accompanied only bS | young Edwin Ruthven, fled toward ths coast. intending to take ship for France
 But Sir John Monteith. bought with Eng