Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-12-28
A New Kind Of Duel.
By DAVID KER.


EVERYONE said - although they
r, took care to say it only when he
could not hear them-that Squire Fitz-
gerald, popularity known as "Fighting
Tom," was born to be the plague of all
mis- neighbors. If so, he certainly full
filled the purpose of his birth better
than most men do.
lie seemed to have no other object in
life except finding a quarrel to fight out,
or else fighting out quarrel that he
had found. When no preteXt for row
was to be had, Fighting Tom was the
quickest man alive at inventing one;
and, indeed, it seemed to be all one to
him, provided the affair ended in
fight, whether the man with whom he
fought had done anything to him or
not.
What with horsewhipping knocking
down, shooting or "pinking" with a
small sword, every man who could be
brought to give him the chance, our
worthy Mr.. Fitzgerald had made such
good use Of his opportunities that there
was not man in the parish to whom he
had not done something, and it was a
favorite joke with the ways of the
neighborhood that the fighting squire
could not sleep at night If he had hap
pened to go through a whole day with
GU. killing or hurting some one, which
did not happen often, as you may sup
: pose, in times when gentlemen fought
; with their best friends for chance dis
pute about the speed of a horse or the
color of a dog.
It was a sight to see this terrible fell
low galoping into the little town on
5 market day upon his great black horse,
which no one could ride but himself,
with his hat cooked fercely over one eye
and his heavy whip in his hand, ready
| for good cut at anybody who might
| dare to get in his way; but it was sell
, dom enough that he had chance OF
using it, for the moment he was seen
coming down the road everybody took
e to their heels as If he had been a mad
f dog.
!, And then he would swagger into the
II coffee room of the King George, where
c the farmers used to dine, and take the
best seat at table and lay down the law
r to the whole company, watching all the
~ while to see if anyone would dare 10
contradict or oppose him.
IL But it was very rarely that anyone did
vt so: for he was great, brawny fellow,
six feet high and quite as ready with
;, his fists as with his sword or pistol ana
y" If was his favorite boast that there
II wasn't man within ten miles OF his
I'd house whom he couldn't thrash easily.
r. We have said that this amiable gem
,leman was popularity believed to have
quarreled with every man in the parlsl
of Bullocksham. But this belief, thougi
J.. correct enough in the main, was not en-
~ tirely so. There was one man VIII
- whom he had never quarreied, for th'
simnle reason that the most quarrel
Z. some man alive could scarcely hav'
~ managed to get any cause OF dlspu'
'e' ont OF dear old Jabez Gootharte, tn
Quaker.
For threats, abuse or loud talk
every kind, friend Jabez" had but on
oo answer. and that was to smile his ow
i. pleasant, kindly smile and say IN III
''o chirping little voice, which sounded Jus
M like the chirrup of canary: Men Sd
ire that it taketh two to make quarre
No. friend. and 1 will not be one"
And Jabez certainly acted up to III
ny words: for whereas Tom Fitzgerald cal
ng ried with him wherever he went an
ole mosphere of strife and brawhng' III
ms kindly old Quaker seemed to put ever.
hodv in GOOD humor with the mere slgi
up - his COMPACT little figure and brigh
III CHEEKY face. ..,
en- sulkv old Grimes, the tollman' WI
rst grumbled at everyone else, twisted n
,on Grabbed visage into kind of whit
'oN smile as Mr.. Goodharte passed. ana nj
ler- AVIAN been known to wish him II merl
ich ,rhristmas-a most unheard-of strett
ng- of uordiality for him. !,
nd Two hulking wagoners fighting IN l.
~ market place had been stopped ny jap
eu- stepping fearlessly In between the
AS and Joining their huge brown hands
and his with a few words OF Kindly
SEES, proof. r .
1aUS nroudest man in the whole county,
7 be condescended to shake hands cordla
With Mr.. Goodharte and to give n
Ave hounds for "his poor;" for jar
seemed to consider all the poor OF d
1ocksbam as his own especial proper
oo and was always trotting about w
one baskets of food and bundles of liam
' "sn4 now sitting up all night with a d
una. Is child, now reading to blind OLD "o
) 'he an. and now putting an unempio1
iical man in the way of getting JOB
'itu, hitherto Fitzgerald had let his gu
onal little neighbor contemptuously alo
aKen rs not being fighting man; nu,
looo ,enrtb something occurred to make
tem' change his mind. News reached
the through one of those countless 'ha n
ngth nails who attend to everybody am
as hnt their own that Jabez Good marie
The bccn heard to say, in answer to mel
N aus ,,s ,bor who was warning him aga
,ot II Fighting Tom:
NV II 9Te,r not. friend; If Thomas
'os''' r.rnld seeketh to harm me, am
~ .ahle to overcome him." j.
W. Half an hour later the man Oh
o. " stood in the little garden OF the m'
----- peace. It'll. n to
stern politeness, as the V"aher
aess coward from among lis flowers
: JOKES ,s@, HE usual smile of welcome, my
20 400 oeS L. THOMAS Fitzgerald, and oar'
G from 10 Iii he ot no loss to guess m
st, who whS you Will DC Nv ~