The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-09-24
The Duke of WcIlingtop's Expert
ment

In ground-hoor room in one of
the large public buildings of London
man sat writing at table covered
with papers. He was a short, strong
ly built figure, with a prominent
nose, and face hard and massive as a
granite statute, the set look pecu-
liar to men who have surmounted
great difficulties and confronted
great perils. Few, indeed, 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
few years old.
There was the tinkle ola bell out
side, and then a murmur of voices
in the anteroom but the duke new
er raised his head from his writing,
even when his secretary entered and
said.
lift please your grace, that man
with the bullet proof breastplate has
called again, and wishes very much
to see your grace for mo-
ment."
The Dukes face darkened, as well
it might, for the man in question
was the most pertinacious bore
whom he had ever encountered.
The bullet-proof cuirass was his own
invention, and he never lost a chance
of declaring that the safety of the
whole British army depended upon
its instant adoption of this ''unpar-
alleled discovery" which he carried
about with him, and exhibited at
all times and in all places.
Had this been all he would soon have
been disposed of ; but, unluckily, he
had contrived to interests in his in
vention one or two of the Dukes
personal friends, and to get from
them letters of recommendation
which even Wellington could not
easily disregard. Something must
clearly be done, however; for al
though the fellow had hitherto been
kept at bay, he was evidently deter
mined to give the Duke no peace
till the matter had been fally gone
into.
For moment Wellington looked
so grim that the secretary began to
hope for the order which he would
gladly have obeyed, viz, to kick the
inventor into the street forthwith.
But the next instant the iron face
cleared again, and over it played the
very ghost of a smile, like a gleam
of winter sunshine upon precip-
ice.
"Show him in," said he, brief
ly.
The observans secretary noted
both the tone and smile that accom-
panied it; and he inwardly decided
that it would have been better for
that inventor if he had moi insisted
on seeing the Duke.
In came the great discoverer-a
tall, slouching shabby, slightly red
nosed man, with would be jaunty
air, which gave way alittle, however
before the Iron Dukes" penetrating
glance.
81 am glad to think that your
Grace appreciates the merits of my
invention" said he. in a patroni zing
tone. They are, indeed, too i'm
portant to be undervalued by any
great commander. Your Grace can
not fail to remember the havoc made
by your gallant troops at Waterloo
among the French cuirassiers, whose
breastplates were not bullet proof
whereas, if"
Have you got the thing with
you2' interrupted Wellington.
The inventor unwrapped very
showiy looking cuirass of polished
steel, and was Just beginning a long
lecture upon its merits, when the
Duke cut him short by ask
ing,
Are you quite sure IL IS outlet
proof"
"Quite sure, your Grace"
"Put it on, then, and stand in
that corner"
The other wonderingly obeyed.
"Mr. Temple" shouted yelling.
ton to his secretary, ''tell the sentry
outside to load with ball-cartrige,
and come in here to test this culrass.
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
fred at, and to be shot dead on the
spot if his cuirass turned out to be
not bullet-proof after all, he leapd
headlong through the open window
with yell worthy of a Blackfoot
Indian, and darting like a rocket
across the courtyard, vanished
through the the outer gateway; nor
did the Duke of Wellington, from
that day forth, ever see or hear of
him again.-DAvID KER, in EDITORS
DRAWER, Harper's Magazine for
October.