Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-10-12

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calves a commission from a lady,
and another gintleman executes it by
a name thrick, the other gintleman
is no gintleman at all-but cad,
Mister Goodhew, cad p
81 say, Mac, draw it mild,' said
Goodhew, in his turn irritated F.; swe
are not all bog-trotters !"
''Is it bog-trotter ye're calm me p
exclaimed Mac in a frenzy. "Be-
dad, DILL tache ye to call MacWhir-
ter bog-trotter, ye spalpeen y
And he sprang at Goodhew fnri-
ously.
Goodhew seized him by the waist,
and in another minute would have
certainly dropped Mac overheard,
had we not all jumped up and inter-
posed. Mae danced and kicked and
struggled, and used every vilifying
expression he could. Goodhew also
was endeavoring to wrest himself
from our grasp; but we held on, and
the opponents seeing that they could
not get at each other, gradually de-
sisted from trying.
doctor !" said Mac, after a
breathing space, ''this is an affair for
immediate settlement
''Pooh! my dear fellow" said the
officer "who can fight duels on the
deck of the P. and O. steamer? Bet
ter wait till we get 10 Hong Kong ;
there's plenty of room there"
"Hong Kong be it them said
Mac. "Mr. Goodhew, DILL send ye
me card IN the morning.
''All right, Mac" replied Good
hew, who was recovering his good
temper. ''Send us as many as you
like. But don't you think we're a
couple of fools, to be going on in
this absurd way about a trife e?''
ga trlfe ye call it?'' roared Mac.
"And If there's a fool hereabouts.
it isn't Terence McWhirter; but ye
needn't travel far to find him.
The doctor whispered in Good.
hew's ear. The latter nodded, ant
smiled and said, "All right, Mac
You challenge me to duel. l ac
cept it. Pistols ?"
''Of coorse," replied Mac. ''Yt
didn't think OF name fishing-rods In
sulting a MacWhirter's no trlfe, o
tell ye.'
SO they separated.
1t may be imagined that the chic
topic on board during the interva
between Singapore and Hong Kons
was the approaching duel. Mac ha(
given out more than once that he wa:
no novice and he certainly hat
shown himself a dead shot with
rook life at bottles or pieces o
wood; but whether, considering tht
extreme eXcitability Of his nature
he would preserve his calmness OF
the field of battle sufficiently to max
any use of his accomplishment, W
were inclined to doubt. Goodhey
had never fired pistol in his life
but there was an easy, calm conf
dence about HIM that foretold n,
want of nerve on his part.
"Pat," said the doctor, ON the ev
ening before our arrival at Hon.
Kong, "havn't' you a qualm of con
science about going to shoot thi
poor fellow?"
"Faith, DOCTOR" replied Mac
"the odds are even. If he wins tn
toss, he shoots me-.
s'You're not afraid of the conse
qnences of manslaughter?" continu
ed the doctor. 81 don't mean TIL
judicial consequences, but the re
morse, the fear of being haunted-
'sDoctor," said Mac, OF took y
for the only sensible man on the ship
and you 60 on talking blarney abou
haunting and all that. On tell ye
doctor, Pm not a believer in spirits
and if OF kill Goodhew, and his ghos
makes a pother about me afterwards
DILL have to settle him as well. Loo
ye, doctor, ye and the whole lot c
'em want to get me off this duel: bu
olive been insulted and if OF put u
with it, oi'll not be worthy of th
name of MacWhirter at all"
The next evening we steamed int
Hong Kong harbor. Mrs. Fulle
went on deck, admiring the effect
of the great mountain shadows upo
the moonlit water, and of the innl
merable twinkling lights from tt
shore, which mount up and up unit
they seem to mingle with the star'
Mac was standing by her chai
''Mrs. Fuller" he said, in low, in
pressive voice, ''this is beauteoI
scene. 1t reminds me of Doblin Ba
or the Cove of Cork. 1t is sa
scene."
ga sad scene. Mr.. MacWhirter
said Mrs. Fuller. "Why, | was ju
thinking it was gay scene, with a
these lights, and"
1T is sad sight for those wi
are looking at it for the last toim
Mrs. Fuller" said Mac, III an almo
sepulchral tone.
ssGracious Mr.. MacWhirte
what do you mean?" asked Mr.
Fuller. "What dreadfully uncor
Portable thing to say?
| 'tOi name, Mrs. Fuller" replit
Mac, ssthat this tonne to-morro
night there will be one less passeng