The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-12-17

country merchant. Over six feet: big frame: no fat on him: no beard; grey: between fifty-five and sixty. HiRn suit: frock coat.
 And he won't be sociable with your Um. Do you know old man Blair ot Blairtowne You don't? That's who N is. Wants a station house-for a place shipping three cars of timber. and selling eight dollars worth or tickets month. I'll not see him Hold on. George. Has he canef No, sir k "Umbrella9'
 No, sir And he looks to be the very sort of man who would carry ana 2, umbrella on 2 pratty day like this. 'It is not Blair, then I'll have to see him: though l just haven't min ute to throw away. That deep water committee will make me waste 'he whole afternoon"
 T told him you were out. Suppose I make 1t out of the cityg No He may be one of those Chii- dersburg aldermen. Now, if we cnok- l ed off one of them in any such styie' and he afterwards found it out. the Childersburg people would tear up the track, and make us build around the town. All those aldermen know me- and any one of them is mean enough | to loaf around the building for the oaI- ance of the day. Let him in | Would the gentleman step into the | next room?
 He would. And he did. Why. how are you MT. Bennet' ! Come right in" 1 Pretty well. The'd. How are your | Never better. sir. No take that chair: it's more comfortable. | 'The'd., l wan to have little. pri- vats talk with you. Now. if you are
 too busy this morning. am perfectly willing to come again. l can stay Tn town all day"
 q am not busy at all. MT. Bennett ! Go ahead. sir. l,
 | MT. Bennett attributed the cordial | ity of his reception to the fact that This acquaintance with Mir. Vail dated from the latter's infancy. Perhaps Ithat was the reason. Perhaps the General Manager had forgotten that his visitor owned two-thirds of Ben nettville. and shipped three-fourths oi the cotton forwarded from that place | T want to see you about my boy Sam | A look of potential trouble came into Mir. vairs eyes. He was popular ly supposed to have a thousand or more positions at his disposal. Liter ally, he could give any of these posi'
 tions to half of man or an ioio. So also, most rich men could muroei their poor kin. For one and the same reason-fear of the conseducnces--Mr Vail and the rich men were unwilling to exercise their respective powers Besides, it would have given Mir. Val no pleasure to exercise his power Wherefore he dreaded any man wne began to talk of my boy" my wife'' sisters boy" or any other boy whc wasn't dead.
 you remember Sam, The'd?" The General Manager was forced fs admit that he remembered, but hedgee by adding the difference in their ages was fifteen or sixteen years.
 ''No, only thirteen, The'd. You were thirty eight in March; and sam wal twenty five in May"
 'T haven't seen Sam. nor heard o' him since left Bennettviile; and tha
 has been quite while. you know,
 That's right. And the trouble
 never began till afterwards UP t the time he got through the distfic
 school. he was as good a boy as l eve saw-too good to suit me--didn't thinl IT was going to raise him. But hei
 been driving nails in my coffin evel
 sheer uncrossing his legs with a vigo'
 incompatible with the Idea that h.
 would need a coffin before the timbe
 necessary for its construction coult (. grow. Talk about turning peoples hair Erey-well, he's turned minc
 And we ain't a hair-turning family either. Pa was eighty-odd when h. died, and his hair was black as
 crow"
 "Whiskey?
 No, don't drink no more'n do
 Nor gamble Sometimes. I wish h.
 did. Might have made some headwa!
 against them: when man burns hi
 belly out. he's got to stop drinking
 when he Iooses all his money. he's go to stop betting" Which showed nov , little Mir. Bennett knew.
 However. fear of an inquiry regard