him a good Shave, and put him into a snowy-white Gown.

His Friends heard of the Accident, and went to the Hospital to offer
Condolence. When they found him he was so Clean and Commonplace that
they lost all Respect for him.

MORAL: _Get a good Make-Up and the Part plays itself._

_THE_ FABLE _OF THE_ COMING CHAMPION _WHO WAS_ DELAYED

In a certain Athletic Club which rented two rooms over a Tin-Shop there
was one Boy who could put it All Over the other Members.

He knew how to Jab and Counter and Upper-Cut and Bore in with the Left
and Play for the Wind. He had Lumps on his Arms and a good Pair of
Shoulders, and every one in the Club told him he had the makings of a
World-Beater. He used to coax Grocery Clerks and Grammar-School Children
to put on the Gloves with him, and then he would go around them, like a
Cooper around a Barrel, and Trim them right and proper.

His friends would stand and watch him make Monkeys of these anaemic
Amateurs, and gradually the Conviction grew within them that he could
Lick anybody of his Weight. The Boy believed them when they told him he
ought to go after the Top-Notchers.

He gave up his Job in the Planing Mill and became a Pugilist. The
Proprietor of a Cigar Store acted as his Manager, and began to pay his
Board. This Manager was Foxy. He told the Boy that before tackling the
Championship Class it would be better to go out and beat a lot of
Fourth-Raters, thereby building up a Reputation and at the same time
getting here and there a Mess of the Long Green.

[Illustrations: MANAGER]

In the same Town there was an Undertaker who had Sporting Blood in his
Veins, and he sought out the Manager and made a Match in behalf of an
Unknown.

The boy went into Training in a Stable. He had a yellow Punching Bag, a
Sponge, a Bath-Robe and several Towels. Two Paper-Hangers who were out
of Work acted as his Trainers. They rubbed him with Witch Hazel all day,
and in the Evening the Boy stood around in a Sweater and Talked out of
the corner of his Mouth. He said he was Trained to the Minute, as Hard
as Nails and Fit as a Fiddle, and he would make Mr. Unknown jump out of
the Ring.

As the Day of the Battle approached it came out that the Unknown was a
Scrapper who had been fairly Successful at one Time, but had ceased to
be a Live One several Years before. He was imported especially for this
Contest with the Coming Champion.

[Illustration: THE COMING CHAMPION]

When he arrived i