The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1875-07-21
KIRwAN'S DUEL.

took place in Dublin, in which the
celebrated fire-eater and champion of
the Dublin Corporation, D'Esterre,
afterward shot by O'Connell, came
out in "a new way to pay old debts" :"
and had his overstrained notions of
chivalry turned into successful ridicule
by an honest, plain-dealing mans
mother wit and common sense.
D'Esterre used to put his name to pa
per without thought of payment. One
day Billy Kirwan, a well-known bill
broker, was offered bundle of bills
for discount. 1t was Kirwan's boast
that he instinctively knew bad "paper"
by the feel of it.
There's bad paper in your lot, 1
can perceive, sir, without taking the
trouble to look over it se1-i-ah.tim Ell
liter-ah-tim," remarked Billy, who had
been originally intended by his pious
Galway parents for the Church, and
had, in his boyhood, decent converse
with the preliminaries of the classics.
"F0num habet IN cornu," he continued,
cas- body might say to a spawned
horse. You had better remove il, il
you please, before 1 have anything to
say to you; for 1 wouldn't touch il
with a pair of kitchen tongs, much
less dirty my hands with il"
81 am astonished to hear you say so,
sir" said the merchant; "and would
you be pleased to mention what it is
in my hand that encounters your OBJ
jection?"
"Why, certain acceptance signed
H. d Esterre, and, if you must know
my opinion, l would not advance the
value of brass button on all that o
jackass could draw on the same secur-
iiy."
"Good heavens and why not?"
"For a rayson l have; and nobody
knows it better than Mr.. D'Esterre
himself" ans swered Kirwan.
AS Kirwan was sitting alone after
dinner the same evening, enjoying his
pipe and his glass of punch over one
of McGhee's late leaders in the Ege-
ming Post, or, just as probably, one OF
Dan O'Connell's earlier speeches in
favor of Catholic. emancipation, the
servant came in with a card from
Colonel Henry.
"Who's Colonel Henry?" demanded
Kirwan.
Faith, and it's meself doesn't know
him from the man in the moon."
"Rowl in the Colonel, and lay an
other tumbler," said the master of the
house.
Colonel Henry, tall and gentle.
manipulating man of middle age
was ushered in.
mighty glad l am to see you Col
onel, whatever you've come bout"
said our host; "but before you begin
/ would advise you to mix tumbler
of that excellent Johnny POtUer that's
fernent you. If you can take 1t off at
once, it will pull you through the
opening part of your business pleasant
ly and comfortably; and then you can
mix second at once to prepare you
for contingencies"
Col. Henry having taken Kirwan's
advice so far as mixing, but not sud
denly absorbing, the liquor, opened
his business with all the grandeur Of
a perfect Sir Lucius, as in days long
gone by Jack johnson used to enact
the part, not Tyrone Power.
The Colonel very much regretted
that it fell to his lot to have to deliver
hostile message to gentleman OF
such respectfully as Mr.. Kirwan
from one equally respectable and es-
timable-Mr. D'Esterre. He. rspeat-
ed the injurious and insulting expres.
sions which the gentleman whom he
had the honor of addressing had made
use of in speaking of his friend dur
ing the day to certain merchant in
the Commercial Buildings, and which
had.trayeled the rounds .of the city
before night-fall. He pointed out,
moreover, the utter impossiblity of
Mr.. D'Esterre's allowing such all out
rage on his Lame aud character to be
uttered and sent forth to the world
without demanding the satisfaction of
gentleman.
"Then, Colonel, honey, come to the
point, and just tell me what it is that
you want" demanded Kirwan.
"An apology or the alternative"
(which means that l must eat my
words or fight"
"Most decidedly"
''It can't be done for the money ?"
"For the money!"
"Yes, for the money. I'd be glad
to accommodate you, my dear Colonel,
in any way in my power; but the
money stands in my way most COM
pletely and entirely"
Colonel Henry looked bewildered.
Kirwan's argitgentlm ad erlmendm