The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-01-15
HIS nerve FAILED
One Girls Face Spoiled a Well
Laid Advertising
Scheme.
BY II. M. eGBERT.


sat in the company's Offices at Earls
court. England.
Il will dare, and what's more, I'll
carry 1t through to the bitter end"
answered Burnett. You largely ex-
aggerate the difficulties because you
don't understand the English psychol-
ogy." he continued How will they
know I'm not duke in disguise?
Besides. it always was done in the old
en- days, and mere four or five hun.
dred years are not enough to upset
an established precedent in this cOun.
try"
We'll, Burnett | wish you luck"
answered POpOff specifically. 'Of
course If you do-well. anyway. the
materials are all downstairs in the
shipping yard and the men have gone
home. The gray truck. horse has had
a feed and you'd better get busy"
Burnett rose and accompanied by
the other, went down into the deserted
yard Hinged round by the blank
walls OF high buildings. 1t afforded a
perfect spot in which to practice evo
lutiOns unobserved by curiOuS-minded
persons. At one end of the yard a
huge gray, Of the Flanders breed,
stood munching at few oats remain
ing in the bottom of his crib. Near
by was great packing case, filed
with what looked like iron imple-
mentS.
Now help me into the armOr, Pop
of, and stop your COMPOUNDED sheer
ing said Burnett, and together, not
without difficulty. they took the
pieces from The case. There was u
steel helmet, with the vizOr attach
ment, greaves, hauberk, arm-pieces
all the complementary parts of a
knights business suit, and, to com
| plete the outfit. IA sectional lance,
some IL feet long, and padded at the
point
by Barnums tooth, I'm glad I'm
not in your shoes" said Popoff. as he
helped the other to don the steel
pieces. You look hot. Burnett. Say
wouldn't Miss Ware throw fits II she
could see"
See here. Popoff, you cut that out.
growled Burnett through the bars of
his visor. ANY more talk Of that
sort and we part company. Under
stand?"
Po2off subsidized sulkily and helped
the trussed knight to adjust the leg
and arm pieces. When at last this
was done he prOpped him against a
wall and proceeded to attire the horse
in chest piece and head armor. A!
this protection was more for show
than for utility, he found 1t easy t
carry and adjust the steel pieces
though the gray showed considerable
restlessness during the operation
Finally, with a prOdigious effort. b
placed Burnett upon the horses bacl
and, having taken his lance. Burnet
passed round the yard at q ponderou
canter, from time to time testing tn
accuracy Of his aim against circl
chalked on q wall. After some hal
hour Of this performance the perspiI
ing knight was embarrassed. the al
NOR packed away. and the steed wa
given q drink of water and a fres
feed
Five days later the celebrated tour
ament was to be held in the Earl
Court grounds, at which the nobilit
of English and many who were nc
noble were to participate In gran
revival of the medieval sport. Blu
nett, who had recently gone to EN-
land In the interests Of the Popoff firm
had been an authority on the tourn
ment; he had written Il thesis on M
dieval Armor" which had attracte
some attention among archeologist
When his father. obsessed by the b
indispensable for young man. ha
given him the alternative between e
tering the employment Of the Popof
and being stricken out of his wi
Burnett had rather sulkily gone
England, as advertising manager,
\ find the whole country agog over Il
forthcoming pageant. And the wi
idea had come to him Of engaging
the tournament.
= I'm a pretty fair rider, Popoff,"
argued. Il didn't often get throw
when | was bronco busting in Wyol
ing-and kept my seat on the gres
ed rail at Coney last year, during d
carnival, and won pewter challen
cup. WIZ shouldn't enter as an u
known knight and meet the nobili
on equal terms?"
Because the cops will stop you |
fore you can get in." said PopoR.
Well see." responded Burnett ct
fidenuy. Il guess it will take sos
cops to stop me when I'm In nv to,
neyins toys"
And 20. i've mornings later. I
workmen having received a epec
holiday on full pay. TO enable Burn,
to accouter himself unobserved. I
young man mounted the sullen n
and passed through the big gates II
the busy Earrs court road. to ,
- Tho ppb,;-