The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-09-25
The Duke Of Wellington,s Experiment.

In O ground floor room In one OF fRthe
large public buildinga of London asmAn
sat writing at q table covered with papers
lie was q short, strongly built HSuT1,
with prominent nose, and fao9 hgEd
| aud massive CO . granite statue, sweArifg
the set look peculiar to men who haYe
surmounted great difficulties and con.
froDted 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 Of
Waterloo was still but few years DID,
There was the tinkle of q bell outside,
| and then o murmur of voices in the
antercom but the Duke never raised his
head from his writing, even when his
secretary entered and said: 4l,.
"If it please your Grace, that man with
the bullet. proof breastplate has called
again, and wishes very much to see your
Grace for moment"
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 chance Of declaring that the
safety of the whole British army depeD.
|'ded upon its instant adoption Of this
Unparalleled discovery" which be carried
about with him, snd exhibited at ell
times 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 two Of the Dukes personal friends,
and to get from them letters of recon.
mendation which even Wellington could
nootl,, l;ovo0orJ Gnr,,tI,s,.,, ,x,,,ak
clearly be done, however; for although
the fellow had hitherto been keptat nay,
he was evidently determined to give the
Duke no peace till the matter had been
fully gone into.
For moment Wellington looked 80
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 in.
stant the iron face cleared again, aud
over it played the very ghost of smile,
like g!eam of winter sunshine upon q
precipice.
"Show him iD," said he, briefly.
The observant secretary noted both the
tone. and the smile that accompanied il /;
aud be ;nws,ly decided .ha.. il wo.!d
haze been better for mat inventor il he
mad aot i:ssisteG Oh seeing The Duke.
In came the great discoverer-a tall,
slouching, shabby. slightly red nosed
man. with would.be jaunty mir, which
gave way little, however, before the
Iron Dukes" penetrating glance.
~ am glad TO think that your Grace
appreciates the merits of my invention"
said ho, in patronizing tone. They
are, indeed, too important 10 be under.
valued by any great commander. Your
Grace can not fail toremember the havoc
made by your gallant troops at Waterloo
among the French cuirassiers, whose
breas!plates were not bullet proof
whereas, if"
Have you got the Thing with you p
interrupted Wellington.
The inventor unwrapped . very nhowy
looking cuirass of polished steel, and
was just beginning long lecture upon
its merits, when the Duke cut him short
by askiug,
"Are you quite sure it is bullet .proof7'
"Quite sure. your Grace"
Put it OIL, then. and go and stand in
that corner" ,,I, 3i!t;
The other wonderingly obeyed.
Mr.. Temple" shouted Wellington to
his secretary, tell the sentry outside te
lond with ball cartridge, and come iu here
to test this cuirass. Quick, now !"
But quick though the secretary was
the Inventor was quicker still. The mo
mcnt he realized that he had been set ul
there OH purpose to be 6red at, aud to be
shot dead on tho spot If his curiass turn
ed out to be not bultst.proof after all, he
leaPed headlong through lhe open win
dow with q yell worthy uf Blackfoo
Indian, and dsriing like = rocket across
the courtyard, vaniahed through tho out
er gateway; nor did the Duke Of WuIl
ington, from that dag forth, ever gee o.
hear Of him again Ddpid Ker, in Edi
tors Dra,rer, Hqrpey'a, Aagasine for Octo
be-.