Morning journal and courier., 1884-10-09
The Duke of WelIington's Experi'

Tnent.
 [David lIer in Editors Drawer, Harper's Magazine
 for October.l
 In q ground-f1oor room in one of the large public buildings of London man sat wri- ting at table covered with papers. He was 8 short, strongly built figure, with proml- nent nose, and face hard and massive as q granite statue. wearing the set look peculiar to men who have surmounted great d1fhcul- ties and confronted great perils. Few, in deed, had had more practice in both than this man, for he was no other than the Duke of Wellington, and his crowning victory at Waterloo was still but a few years old.
 There was the tinkle of a bell outside, and then & 1nur1nur of voices in the ante-roomj but the duke never raised his head from his writing, even when his secretary entered and said:
 HsIf it please your grace, that man with the bullet proof breastplate has called again, and wishes very much to see your grace for a moment"
 The dukes face darkened, well it might, for the man in question was the most pertl- nacious bore whom he had ever encountered. The bullet-proof cuirass was his own lnven- tion and he never lost a chance of declaring that the safety of the whole British army de pended upon it's instant adoption Of thls | unparalleled discovery" which he carried | about with him, and exhibited at all times 1 and in all places.
 Had this been all, he would soon have been disposed of; but, unluckily, he had contrived to interest in his invention one or l two of the dukes personal friends, and to l Eet from them letters of recommendation | which even Wellington could not easily dis regard Something must clearly be done, | however: for although the fellow had hither- l r. at hoN he evidently mined to give the duke 1io peace till the mat 1 ter had been fully gone into.
 For moment Wellington looked so grim that the secretary began to hope for the or der which he would gladly have obeyed, viz, 10 kick the inventor into the street forth | with But the next instant the iron face cleared again, and over it played the very ghost of smile, like gleam of winter sun l shine upon precipice. 1 sEShow him in,' said he, briefly. 1 The observant secretary noted both the 1 tone and the smile that accompanied it; and i he inwardly decided that it would have been better for that inventor if he had not insist ed on seeing the duke.
 | h came the great discoverer-a taIl slouch- iug shabby, slightly red-nosed man, with would-be jaunty air, which gave way @ little, however, before the ''Iron Dukes" penetra- 1 ting glance.
 II am glad to think that your grace appre- ciates the merits of my invention," said he, in patronizing tone. ''They are, indeed, too important to be undervalued by any great commander. Your grace cannot fail to re- member the havoc made by your gallant troops at Waterloo among the French suiras- siers, whose breastplates were not bullet proof; whereas, if
 s'Have you got the thing with you?' inter rupted Wellington.
 The inventor unwrapped , very showy looking cuirass of polished steel, and was just beginning long lecture upon it's ner- its, when the duke cut him short by asking.
 f'Are you quite sure it is bullet-proof!"
 F'Quite sure, your grace"
 'sPut it on, then, and go and stand in that corner"
 The other wonderingly obeyed.
 ''Mr. Temple" shouted Wellington to his secretary, 'fteI the sentry outside to load with bail-cartridge and come in here to test this cuirass. Quick, now!"
 But quick though the secretary was, the inventor was quicker still. The moment he realized that he had been set up there on purpose to be fired at, and to be shot dead on the spot if his cuirass turned out to be not bullet-proof after all, he leaped headlone through the open window with yell worthy of Blackfoot Indian, and darting like g rocket across the courtyard, vanished through the outer gateway; nor did the duke of Vel lington, from that day forth, ever see or hear of him again.