Evening star., 1927-10-03
WORLD FAMOUS STORIES
BY j. Nj. WILSON.
GRIZEL COCHRANE.

reach his arms. but, in a moment. the
hand of the robber, quitting his bride,
grasped the breast of the rider. and
dragged him to the ground. -!e iell
heavily on his face, and for several
minutes remained senseless. Inc
stranger seized the leathern bag which
contained the mail for the North, and.
| fiinging it on his shoulder, rushed
across the heath.
Early on the following morning the
inhabitants of Berwick were seen hur'
rying in groups to the spot where the
robbery had been committed, and were
scattered in every direction, but no
/ trace of the robber could be obtained.
| Three days had passed and Sir John
| Cochrane vet lived. The mail which
contained his death warrant had been
robbed. and before another order for
his execution could be given the inter
cession of his father, the Earl OF Dun
donald, with the kings confessor
might be successful. GriZel now be-
came almost his constant companion
in prison and spoke to him words OF
comfort. Nearly IA days passed. and
! the intercession of his father was un'
successful 4 second time the bigoted
and would-be despotic monarch signed
! the warrant for his death, and with
| little more than another day that war
rant would reach the prison.
| My father shall not die" Grizel
Cochrane said again.
| And again the rider with the mail
| had reached the moor, and second
| time bore with him the doom of Coch-
rane. He spurred his horse to the ut
most speed: he looked cautiously be.
fore, behind and around him, and in
| his right hand he carried a pistol
ready to defend himself. The moon
shed a ghostly light across the heath.
rendering desolation visible and giving
| a spiritual embodiment to every shrub.
| He was turning the angle of Strag-
Cling copSe when his horse reared at
the report of a pistol. the fire of which
seemed to dash into his very eyes. At
the same moment his own pistol
| flashed and, the horse rearing more
violently. he was thrown from the sad.
die. In a moment the foot of the rob-
ber was upon his breast, who, bending
over him and brandishing short dag
ger in his hand, said;
"Give me thine arms. or die"
The heart of the kings servant
failed within him and, without Ven
turing to reply, he did as he was com.
manded.
"Now go thy way. but leave with
me the horse, and leave with me the
mail-lest a worse thing come upon
thee"
Preparations were making for the
execution of Sir John Cochrane. and
the officers waited only the arrival of
the mail with his second death war.
rant to lead him forth to the scaffold
| when the tidings arrived that the mail
had again been robbed. For yet II
days the life of the prisoner would
again be prolonged.
said I not" declared his daughter.
that my father should not die?" The
IA days were not yet past when the
prison doors flew open and Sir John
| rushed TO the arms of his father. His
intercession with the confessor had
been at length successful; the king
had sealed Sir Johns pardon.
They went to Sir Johns house, when
stranger craved an audience. Sir
John desired him to be admitted, and
the robber entered. He was attired as
before; on entering he slightly touched
his beaver, but remained covered.
when you have perused these"
said he, taking two papers from his
bosom, least them into the fire.
Sir John glanced on them, started
and became pale-they were his death
warrants.
My deliverer" he exclaimed. ''How
shall I thank thee? BY what name
shall I thank thee?"
The stranger sobbed aloud and, rails
ing his beaver, the raven tresses of
Grizel Cochrane fell upon the coarse
cloak. s.
Gracious Heaven" exclaimed the
astonished and enraptured father.
"My own child, NV saviori NV own