Page:American Boy's Life of William McKinley.djvu/156

126 went back to his office in a happy frame of mind. Not long after that Judge Belden came in, smiling broadly.

"They tell me you won it, after all," he said.

"We won, yes, sir," was the answer, modestly delivered.

"Nonsense, McKinley, it was you won it and nobody else," cried the older lawyer. "Do you know what I thought when I left you? I thought, sir, that it was next to a hopeless case,—that it had gotten into a snarl that couldn't be straightened out. Here is your fee."

The judge handed out twenty-five dollars—more cash than the young lawyer had seen in several weeks. McKinley hesitated about accepting it.

"You are sure my services are worth that much?" he questioned.

"Yes, sir, they were worth every cent of it. Take it, and if I need outside help again, you can rest assured that I shall come to you first."

This important case broke the ice, and soon McKinley began to pick up a fair practice. Among the first to patronize