The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-03-12

An Inventors Dilemma.

In a ground floor room in one OF the
large public buildings of London sat
man writing at IL table covered with
papers. He was a short, strongly
built figure. with a prominent nose,
and face haTl and massive As gran
ite statue. and wearing the set look
peculiar to men who have surmounted
great perils. Few. indeed, had more
practice in both than this man. for he
was no other than the Duke of Well
;ngton, and his croWning victory Vt
Waterloo was still but few years
old.
There was tinkling of bell out
side. and then a murmur of Voices IN
the ante-room; but the duke never
raised his head from his writing. and
even when his secretary entered and
said,-
If it please your grace. That man
with the bullet-proot breaS.p!ate has
called again. and wishes very much 20
see your grace for q moment
The dukes face darkened. a> Well il
might for the man iu question " l. the
most pertinacious bore whom he lad
ever encountered The -buliet-proof
cuirass was his own invention. aud he
never lost chance of declaring that
the safety OF the whole British army
depended upon its instant adoption OF
/ this '.unparaiieled discovery" which
he carried about him and exhibited at
all times and liz all places.
Had this been ali. he would soon
/ have been disposed of; but. unluckily,
! he had contrivcd 10 interest one or two
of the dukes personal friends and to
get from them letters of recommends
| tion which even Wellington could not
easily disregard Something must
clearly be done. however; for although
| the fellow had hitherto been kept at
bay. he was evidently determined 10
give the duke no peace till the matter
had been fully gone into.
For a moment Wellington looked so
grim that the secretary began to hope
for the order which he would gladly
have obeyed. viz. to kick the inyentor
into the street forthwith.
s'Show him in,' said he, briefly.
The obseryant secretary noted both
the tone and the smile that accompanied
1t; and he ipwardly decided that it
would have been better for taat in
yentor if he had not insisted on seeing
the duke.
In came the great discoyercr-a tall.
slouching, shabby. slightly red-nosed
man. with would-be jaunty air. which
gave way little. however, before the
..Iron Dukes" penetrating glance.
81 am glad to think that your grace
appreciates the merits Of my inyen-
tion," said he, in patronizing tans
They are, indeed. too important to
be underyalned by any great command
er. Your grace cannot tail to remem-
| Der the great havoc made by your gal
| liant troops al Waterloo among the
| French cuirassiers, whose breastplases
were not bullet-proof: whereas, if"
.Have you got the thing with yon?"
interrupted Wellington.
The inysptor unwrapped very
short looking cuirass ct palished steel.
and was just beginning long lscturs
upon its merits, when the duke cut him
short by asking
''Are yOu quite sure that it is bullet
proof"
''Quite sure, your grace.
Put it on, then, and go stand in that
corner
The other wonderingly obeyed.
MIR Temple" shouted Wellington
| 10 Ills scEIctdi y, Lcil iHC scHti1 Jul
side to load with ball cartridge, and
| come in here to test this cuirass. Quick.
| nowI'
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 i,c slot dead on the. spot if his
cuirass turned out not to be bullet
proof sitter all. he leaped headlong
through the open window with yell
worthy of a Blackfoot Indian, and
| darted like rocket across the COURT
yard. vanishing through tho outer gate
way: nor did the Duke of Wellington.
from that day forth, ever see or hear
OF him again.