doing well. As before, he made numerous speeches and he was always listened to with close attention, for he had a personal magnetism which to many was irresistible.
But the result was as he had surmised. When the ballots were counted, it was found that his opponent had beaten him by exactly forty-five votes.
"Not so bad," said one of his friends. "You are ahead of the rest of our ticket by at least a hundred votes." And what this friend said was true, and the showing was in reality excellent, although the young prosecuting attorney lost the office thereby.
Being retired again to private life, McKinley devoted himself exclusively to law work, and soon became known far and wide as a skilful practitioner. During the next five years he handled many difficult cases, some of which brought him in large fees. Yet, although he was making money, he remained the modest, unassuming man he had been in the past.
"Anybody could talk to him," said one resident of Canton, in speaking of those days. "He always had a kind word for the children, and some of them used to pre-
