The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1899-12-21
Ibor who was warning him agains,

= Eh'lhE ibIis
"Fcar rot, friend: II Thomas Fitn
gerald scckcth TO harm me, am vel
able TO overcome Him"
Half an hour later the man of wal
, stood in the little garden of the man OF
peace.
mir. Goodharte." said he. in a tone o!
stern politcness. as the Quaker came
forward from among his flowers with
his usual smile of welcome, "my name
is Thomas Fitzgerald, and I dare say
you will be at no loss TO guess my err
rand"
81 shall guess ii more easily, friend
Thomas, when thou hast stated it thy
self" answered Jabez, quietly.
"Well," said Fitzgerald, rather taxa
| abaclS by this cool reception, after hav
| ing SO song made the whole ncighbor
hood trembIe at his very name. 81 hes;
that you. sir. have thought fit to say
that you were able to beat me if ! shoulc
| attack you. and, Of course, such an ex.
preston can have bus ope result among
,, men of honor. You undeFsiand me,
prosumeT
"Perfectly, friend; thou wishest ms
TO do what in the language Of the world
!s called fighting duel"
"JIst 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 it
"Name your friend, and I'll send mine
| to meet him"
''Friends have many, I thank
Heaven" quoth Jabcz, 'but none 70,
such purpose. Hear my conditions:
| We will meet at noon tomorrow or
| Wantley common, without seconds, o-
horseback, and with such weapons az
| each may choose; and whichever is frs;
| driven off the ground shall be consia.
cred beaten
Fighting Tom laughed in spite 81
| himself.
Its 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 tirc left"
! L..g b,i,re ncon on the following
day. Wautley Common was crowded
as if either the king himself or a mon
ster circus had been expected to pass
that way 1t still wanted few min.
utes of IL o'clock, when a clatter OF
horse hoofs was heard from the direc-
tion of the town, and up rode Tom Fitz-
| Co l,lncly hArco ,xrit n
sword by his side and pistols in his
! holsters, looking fercely round for an
! enemy.
Suddenly hum ran through the ex'
pectant crowd, and, just as the first
stroke of 12 pealed from the old church
tower, Jabez Goodharte was seen jog
gng comfortably along on an ambling
pony, holding in his hand something
that looked like a long pole, though the
end of it was hidden under his Grim
! son dressing-gown.
This dressinggown, fluttering in the
wind like n flag, was too much for thu
nerves of Fitzgerald's horse, which be
gan plunging and rearing so violently
, as almost to unseat its rider.
, Several of the lookers-on burst ou
, laughing, and the enraged bully, hurl
, ing a storm of abuse at them, charged
, at Goodharte with drawn sword, mean
, ing to cut him down like thistle.
But just then Jabez whisked out hi
, pole, with bladder full of dried pea
at the end of it, the rattle of whicl
! scared the already frightened horst
! almost out of its senses.
. Round il wheeled, despite Fitzgerald
{ furious spurring, and tore off acros
- the common at such rate that in les
.han two minutes horse and rider wer
q out of sight, the frantic yells Of tn
h squire being scarcely heard amid th
!, deafening laughter of the crowd.
= Then the flood of popular enthusiast
h broke loose. The victorious Quake
q was seized and carried shoulder-higI
l. into the town, with an accompaniment
Q Of cheering that made the window
p rattle again.
. The local papers We're full OF the due
for days after, and JabeZ was so over
. whelmed with visits and invitations t
dinner that he hardly knew which wa
II to turn.
Is As for Fighting Tom Fitzgerald, tha
II days work was the last of him, so ia
y as Bullocksham was concerned, fc
/ from that morning he never showed hi
face there again. But, three or fou
is gears later, Mr.. Hartiboy, the retire
r. landlord of the King George, return
Z. ing from tour through southern Et
ia rope, brought word that Fitzgerald ha
=. died at Milan Of a fit of apoplcNy, cause
II by walters impudent question whetl
Z or he was fond of dried peas.-Golde
Days.
lo Something silly.
is Sturdy Sammy Sampson sougl
y sweet Sally Stevens society so solic