Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-12-28
Thomas, when thou hast stated 1t thy.

Thomas, when thou hast stated 1t thy.
SELF" answered Jabez, quietly.
"Well," said Fitzgerald, rather taken
aback by this cool reception, after hav.
ing so long made the whole neighbor.
hood tremble at his very name. Lhear
that you, sir, have thought fit to say
that you were able to beat me If should |
attack you, and, of course, such an ex.
preston can have but one result among |
men of honor. You understand me, ]
presume"
"Perfectly, friend; thou wishest me
to do what in the language Of the world
is called fighting duel"
"Just So" said Fitzgerald, more and
more astonished both at the Quaker's
unexpected readiness to fight and at
the GOODNESS with which he spoke of 1t.
"Name your friend, and I'll send mine
to meet him."
"Friends have l many, thank
Heaven" quoth Jabez, 'but none for
such purpose. Hear my conditions:
| We will meet at noon tomorrow on
| Wantley common, without seconds, on
horseback, and with such weapons as
each may choose; and whichever is first
driven off the ground shall be consid.
cred beaten"
Fighting Tom laughed in spite OF
himself.
cts pretty plain that you haven't
had much to do with affairs of honor"
said he; "but one can hardly expect
Quaker to be an authority on duel
ing. Well, sir, l accept your terms,
such as they are; and the sooner you
make your will, and take leave of your
friends, the better, for you've got little
enough time left"
Long before noon on the following
day, Wantley Common was crowded
as if either the king himself or mon
ster circus had been expected to pass
that way. 1t still wanted few min
utes of IL o'clock, when clatter OF
horse hoofs was beard from the direc-
ton of the town, and up rode Tom Fitz'
gerald on his famous black horse, with
a sword by his side and pistols in his
holsters, looking fercely round for an
| enemy.
. Suddenly a hum ran through the eX
pectant crowd, and, just as the first
, stroke of - pealed from the old church
2 tower, Jabez Goodharte was seen jog
e cling comfortably along on an amblin@
a pony, holding in his hand something
e that looked like long pole, though thu
e end of it was hidden under his Grim
= son dressing-gown.
: This dressinggown, futtering in tn
h wind like flag, was too much for tn
j. nerves of Fitzgerald's horse, which be
t gan plunging and rearing so violentl.
). as almost to unseat it's rider.
e Several of the lookers-on burst on
laughing, and the enraged bully, hur
l. ing storm of abuse at them, charge
a at Goodharte with drawn sword, mear
=. ing to cut him down like thistle.
+. But Just then Jabez whisked out hi
e pole, with bladder full of dried pea
V at the end of it, the rattle OF whic
It scared the already frightened hors
J. almost out of it's senses.
II Round it wheeled, despite Fitzgerald
n furious squirting, and tore off acros
* the common at such rate that in lie:
ID than two minutes horse and rider wei
out of sight, the frantic yells OF tt
,e squire being scarcely heard amid tf
re deafening laughter of the crowd.
re Then the flood of popular enthusias
w broke loose. The victorious Quak
he was seized and carried shoulder-hie
IN into the town, with an accompanies
Of cheering that made the wlndo'
i'd rattle again.
W. The local papers were full of the du
th for days after, and Jabez was so owe
nd whelmed with visits and invitations
70 dinner that he hardly knew which WI
lis to turn.
~ As for Fighting Tom Fitzgerald tn
N. DAYS work was the last of him, so
va as Bullocksham was concerned, I
sh from that morning he never showed
oh face there again. But, three or 70
a. wears later, Mr.. Hartiboy, the retir
itb landlord of the King George, retul
he ing from a tour through southern
ell rope, brought word that Fitzgerald h
we died at Milan of fit of apopleXy, caus
,te by walters impudent question whe
The err he was fond of dried peas.-Go!d
DAYS.