Page:American Boy's Life of William McKinley.djvu/152

122 "McKinley, shall you be busy to-day?" he asked.

"No, judge, I am just finishing up the last of the work on hand," was the answer.

"Then I have a case coming off to-morrow that I wish you would take hold of for me. I am not feeling well, and besides, I must leave town. Will you do it?"

"What is the case?"

"It's a replevin case of appeal. Here are the papers. You can look them over. I know you'll do your best."

The young lawyer took the papers and glanced over them hurriedly, while the judge stood by. It did not take McKinley long to see that the matter was a difficult one to argue, and that success was by no means certain.

"Judge Belden, I—I am not prepared for this," he stammered.

"I know you are not—but you will be when the case comes off to-morrow. No, don't say you can't do it, for I know you can. Here are a few more documents relating to the case." And dumping the papers on the desk on top of those