The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-17
BENEFITS BOY: A Short Story
 By HENRY GAINES TURNER.
 Mobile. Ala.
By HENRY GAINES TURNER.

eral Manager. 'One word of praise from Sweeney equalled three from any body else, and the quick completion of the Montgomery extension meant much to the M. and N. M AC.
 Well, we can do 1t. As you know. most youngsters. when you try to give them a little rope. want to run all cre- atlon, and, if you don't let them run it, sulk, and make you dish out a days work every morning. Bennett don't think that he knows what I want bet ter than I know myself: he uses his authority up to the limit and, when he hits the limit. he stops. He knows how to handle, men. Theoretically ed- ucated up in G, and improved by it. Don't mind being dirty. First man fresh from college that ever saw who would roll a cigarette when he couldn't wash his hands,"
 What did you say his name was?" Bennett.
 'Tnitials?"
 -. "S H.; $. stands for Samuel" T think" said the General Manager. and paused. Leaning over an arm of his chair he licked the ashes off his cigar against the upper edge of the fiange of spittoon. Perhaps the act consumed thirty seconds; perhaps forty; anyway. during it's performance he de- cided to do something which he had | never done before. namely, break a definite promise. There was no help for it. It was evident that, if he or dered Sweeny to discharge Sam Ben nett, Sweeny would resign--a conting- ency to be averted at the cost of twice | Bepnettville's cotton earnings-even | Rad there been no half-finished exten- sion on hand. Sweeny knew the roadbed Of the main limo as a Tammany ward leader knows his ward. It was also evident that an attempt to persuade Sweeny to discharge Sam would be a frivolous waste of time of two men for l whose time the M. and N. was paying roundly. T think" as he resumed an upright position. that have heard oi MT. Bennett before. How old is he?
 Now Sweeny, having inquired regard. ing the matter. knew that Sam was ir his 26th year, but he (Sweeny) was afraid that a. wholly truthful answer
 would cause the General Manager tc | say that Sam was too young to beaI
 the title desired for him. Wherefore after some hesitation. the Chief Engi.
 neer replied:
 "well-he's not over thirty"
 Mir. Vail rang. A General Manager
 never puts of till tomorrow what any,
 body else can do today. Ask Mir. wey.
 land to step here. Where do you wist
 Bennetts mail to go, MT. Sweeny?' Norton"
 "Weyland, take a wire:
 George Bouvelle. Mobile:
 Issue circular dated. and effective
 today, appointing S. H. Bennett As.
 sistant Engineer Headquarters al
 Norton, Ala. All reports and commu.
 nicatiOns relating to the construction
 of the line situated east of the Big
 Sandy River to be sent to Bennett in, } stead of Sweeny."
 It was past midnight when the Gen.
 eral Manager and the Chief Engineel Il retired. Nobody, except Watson, knew how glad weyland was to see them re- Y tire; and nobody, except weyland, knew
 how glad Watson was to hear that they had retired.
 MT. Vail could not go to sleep. H, asked himself whether any other mar
 had ever been SO placed. To have in terfered with Sweeny in the choice O. his subordinates would have been wronI from an ethical. as well as a business standpoint Sweeny had been with tn, M and N twenty- tive years: he ha,
 given the road a lifetime Of that char acter of service for which money cai